Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty
Kari Lake, a far-right former TV journalist, may have become a national MAGA celebrity during her run for governor of Arizona. But she won’t become governor: in the midterm election, she was defeated by her Democratic opponent, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs.
Multiple news networks called the race in Hobbs’ favor on Monday, after nearly a week of slow post-election vote tallying in the swing state.
The contest between the two women was one of the most bitter, contentious, and nationally-watched state-level races anywhere in the country this year. In the late stages of the race, with the national environment cutting against Democrats, insiders believed that Lake was the clear favorite, and Democrats were concerned about Hobbs’ low-key campaign strategy.