Arizona Midterm Elections: Democrat Katie Hobbs Defeats Trump-Backed Republican Kari Lake

After what may be one of the most contentious races during the midterm elections, Arizona governor has finally been decided after Democrat Katie Hobbs defeated Trump-backed Republican TV personality Kari Lake.

The race was reported to be very close by various outlets, including CNN, NBC, ABC, and the Washington Post, whose respective projections all confirmed that Hobbs won.

Arizona featured three high-profile races as Trump-backed candidates echoed the former president's election denialism all lost to their Democratic opponents.

With Lake's defeat, this means that all three Arizona election deniers including Republican Senate nominee Blake Masters and secretary of state nominee Mark Finchem all lost their respective races.

Very Tight Race For the Governorship in Arizona

CNBC reported that the race was called with 97% of the projected vote already tallied in Arizona. Katie Hobbs received 50.4% of the vote, while her Republican opponent, Kari Lake, received 49.6% for Lake.

Several outlets reported that Lake had a late surge of votes from Maricopa County, but they were not enough to overtake Hobbs's lead with only a few votes left.

This was the first time the Arizona Governor's seat was flipped blue in over a decade, as Arizona was mostly a red state. It was a bulwark for the late Senator John McCain, a Republican who feuded with former President Donald Trump until his death.

The election results from Arizona could have national repercussions as Lake is infamously an election denier and would likely favor Trump should he run for office again in the 2024 presidential elections.

Katie Hobbs Promises to be a Governor for Everyone, Including Those Who Did Not Vote For Her

Katie Hobbs noted that Arizona is a "battleground for a reason." Celebrating her victory after various media outlets projected her as the winner, she immediately addressed the Republicans who went against her in such a toxic and contentious race.

"For the Arizonans who did not vote for me, I will work just as hard for you - because even in this moment of division, I believe there is so much more that connects us," she said. The governor-elect then added, "Let's get to work."

Hobbs is a long-time public servant and is the current Arizona secretary of state. She argued with Donald Trump as the former president claimed he won Arizona, even though the evidence and various recounts and audits proved he did not.

She defended Arizona's voting system against baseless fraud accusations from Trump and his supporters and was even thrust into the national spotlight because of this.

With her race against Trump-backed Kari Lake, a former local news reporter, she was thrust into the national spotlight yet again.

To celebrate her victory, Hobbs also posted on Twitter, writing "Democracy is worth the wait. Thank you, Arizona." She then added she feels proud and honored to be the state's next governor.

As for Lake, she is the latest election-denying, Trump-backed Republican to lose her race for the midterm elections, as many states went blue with Democratic wins.

Many Republicans were quick to distance themselves from Trump and even start blaming him for the many defeats suffered by his candidates.

Her loss, along with fellow pro-Trump Arizona Republicans like Masters and Finchem, was seen as a rejection of Trumpism in the state.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: John King Breaks Down Katie Hobbs' Projected Win in Arizona Governor's Race - From CNN