Arizona governor: Katie Hobbs gets an early lead over Trump supporter Lake Kari

PHOENIX — In early results Tuesday night, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs surged ahead of former television anchor and Trump friend Kari Lake to become Arizona's first Democratic governor since 2009.

"We've seen the initial findings come in, and we're feeling good about what we're seeing," Hobbs told supporters, cautioning them that final results could not be available for several days. "I know we're all anxious to learn out who won each of these crucial elections, but we must all be patient and wait for every vote to be counted."

Long lines and wait times were reported at certain polling locations as people turned out to vote in a contest that the Hobbs campaign described as "a toss up" in the run-up to Election Day.

When she spoke to supporters Tuesday night, Lake, on the other hand, exuded confidence.

"What do you think? "We are going to win this," she declared, assuring her supporters that "it is still very early." "in the process of counting "And if we have to fight this battle, we will." "We'll take hours or days if it takes that long."

The campaign received national interest, with Politico naming it one of the country's "most crucial" governor contests.

Lake ran a divisive campaign on the coattails of former President Donald Trump, frequently contradicting the outcome of the 2020 election between him and President Joe Biden, calling the elections "rigged," "corrupt," and "stolen," and labelling Biden a "illegitimate president."

Even as she went to vote Tuesday, she struck a similar tone, telling reporters that voters had phoned her in tears earlier in the day due to issues with tabulation devices at several Maricopa County stations.

"We've got problem after problem," she remarked, saying that if elected, she will modernise the electoral process. "When we win, there will be a rush for elections in Arizona."

Lake was referring to issues with tabulation devices that failed to tally ballots correctly at 60 voting locations in Maricopa County, Arizona's most populous county. Some ballots were too faint for the machines to read. After technicians adjusted printer settings, the problem was fixed, and Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates stated, "People were still able to vote."

Nonetheless, Lake joined other Arizona Republicans and the Republican National Committee in submitting an emergency request to extend voting hours in the county; the move was denied within hours by a court.

While Lake concentrated on electoral fraud, Hobbs campaigned on safeguarding democracy by opposing "fake audits" and "anti-democratic extremists."

Her programme emphasised economic concerns, abortion rights, and sustainable energy, similar to that of Democratic candidates across the state. Throughout the campaign, Hobbs said that voting for her was a vote for "sanity over anarchy," referring to Lake's positions on abortion and elections.

At an event on Arizona State University's Tempe campus Tuesday morning, Hobbs projected a close election and reminded students of the significance of voting.

"This election has the potential to determine the future of democracy not only in Arizona, but throughout the country," she added.

Voters who voted in person on Tuesday were motivated by an increasingly polarised political landscape.

Mike Phillips, a registered independent from Phoenix, said he voted Democratic all the way down the ballot out of moral obligation and worry for Republicans.

"As you get older, maybe more moral compass things, like societal concerns, becomes essential," Phillips added.

"I am really concerned about some candidates and parties."

Mary Ellen Barker of Phoenix felt similarly, but she voted against Phillips, citing worries about immigration, drug trafficking, and inflation.

She also stated that she believes both the Democratic and Republican parties are corrupt, and she likes Lake and Trump "because they are not politicians."

"They're simply doing their job," Barker explained.

This year, Trump staged rallies in Phoenix for Lake and other Arizona Republicans.

This year, Trump staged rallies for Lake and other Arizona Republicans in Florence, Prescott, and, most recently, Mesa.

Lake's campaign focused heavily on Hobbs's flaws. Throughout the race, she repeatedly labelled Hobbs a racist and a coward. The plan, along with Hobbs' unwillingness to debate her, helped her gain ground in the closing weeks before the election.

Hobbs justified her choice not to debate Lake by pointing to her opponent's behaviour at a GOP primary debate in June, during which Lake repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election. Hobbs told Arizona PBS that Lake is "just interested in the spotlight."

With Hobbs behind in the polls in the last weeks before Election Day, the Arizona Democratic Party enlisted the help of former President Barack Obama to motivate supporters. At an appearance in Laveen on November 2, Obama backed every Arizona state Democratic candidate, including Hobbs.

Hobbs has been in state government for 11 years, rising up the ranks from state representative to state senator and, finally, to her current post as secretary of state in 2019.

Arizona has not had a Democrat as governor since Janet Napolitano resigned in 2009 to become Secretary of Homeland Security in the Obama administration.

The persistent disputes over election integrity did not deter Angela Willeford from voting. Willeford, a Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community member, said Election Day symbolised something more than herself. It's taking part in history.

"It's Democracy Day!" she said to voters as she handed out breakfast burritos and T-shirts outside a community centre that had been converted into a voting site on Tuesday morning.

Willeford, 42, volunteers to assist indigenous people vote.

"That's what democracy is about—celebrating voting and encouraging our community members to stand up," she added. "Whether you're a Republican, independent, or Democrat, we simply want you to engage in the process." "That is what democracy means to me."