Arizona’s 2022 gubernatorial race between Democrat Katie Hobbs and Republican Kari Lake stands as one of the most closely watched and litigated contests in modern state history. According to certified election results from the Arizona Secretary of State, Hobbs defeated Lake by a narrow margin of 17,110 votes, securing 51.1% of the total vote to Lake’s 48.9%. The election drew intense national attention, massive campaign spending, and months of post-election legal challenges that tested the state’s election administration and judicial systems.
Certified Election Results and Vote Totals
Official canvass results released by Arizona counties and certified by state officials showed a total of 2,512,130 ballots cast in the November 8, 2022, general election for governor. According to the Arizona Secretary of State’s office, Katie Hobbs received 1,287,891 votes, while Kari Lake received 1,270,781 votes. Libertarian candidate Brandon Simmons received 4,203 write-in votes.
The razor-thin margin triggered an automatic recount under Arizona law, which applies to elections where the margin between the top two candidates is less than or equal to 0.5% of the total votes cast. Superior Court Judge Rockne Cooper oversaw the recount, which was conducted by hand and machine across Arizona’s 15 counties. The recount, completed in December 2022, affirmed the original machine-count outcome, confirming Hobbs’ victory by nearly the exact same margin.
Legal Challenges and Court Rulings
Following the election, Kari Lake mounted an extensive legal challenge contesting the results, alleging widespread misconduct and printing errors on election day in Maricopa County. Lake’s legal team filed multiple lawsuits in Maricopa County Superior Court seeking to overturn the certified results or order a new election.
Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson dismissed the core of Lake’s election contest after a two-day trial in December 2022, ruling that the plaintiff failed to present clear and convincing evidence of intentional misconduct that altered the outcome of the election. Lake appealed the decision to the Arizona Court of Appeals and subsequently to the Arizona Supreme Court.
In May 2023, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the lower court rulings, dismissing most of Lake’s claims but allowing one narrow claim regarding signature verification processes on early ballots to return to the trial court for further proceedings. In July 2023, Superior Court Judge Thompson ruled against Lake on that final remaining claim, finding insufficient evidence to invalidate the election results.
Inauguration and Transition
Despite ongoing legal proceedings, Katie Hobbs was sworn in as the 24th governor of Arizona on January 2, 2023, in a private ceremony at the State Capitol, followed by a public inauguration ceremony. Hobbs succeeded outgoing Republican Governor Doug Ducey, who was term-limited.
The transition period involved extensive coordination between the outgoing administration and Hobbs’ transition team, focusing on key state priorities including water management, border security, public education, and affordable housing. Hobbs, serving her first term as governor, previously held the office of Arizona Secretary of State from 2019 to 2023.
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