Hobbs beats Lake in Arizona governor's race

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs has been elected governor, becoming the latest Democrat to prevail in a state that has gone from solid red to battleground in recent years.

Hobbs defeated Republican Kari Lake, a former local TV news anchor who, during the campaign, would not commit to accepting the results of her race, as she repeated Donald Trump's false claim that the 2020 election was rigged.

“This was not just about an election — it was about moving this state forward and facing the challenges of our generation,” Hobbs said in a statement claiming victory Monday evening.

Lake was defiant.

“Arizonans know BS when they see it,” she tweeted after the race was called.

Hobbs will be the first Democrat to serve as Arizona’s chief executive since Janet Napolitano left office to serve as President Barack Obama’s DHS secretary in 2009. Her victory follows that of Sen. Mark Kelly, who defeated Republican challenger Blake Masters.

“Democracy is worth the wait,“ the governor-elect wrote on Twitter, as the closely watched race was called six days after voting closed.

Democrats also gained governorships in Maryland and Massachusetts this month, while Republicans flipped one in Nevada.

Hobbs had held the lead since election night. The later-counted mail-in votes favored Republicans so Lake, who complained about the speed and efficiency of Arizona’s election processes, had been eating into the lead — but she never overtook her Democratic rival.

Throughout the campaigns, the two candidates never came face to face, as Hobbs declined to debate Lake.

Hobbs made abortion access a priority issue of her campaign, with Arizona facing an outright ban on the procedure. “I support leaving the decision between a woman and her doctor and leaving politicians entirely out of it,” Hobbs said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Arizona’s gubernatorial race was one of the most closely watched races in the country this election cycle, with polls showing the two candidates neck and neck throughout the campaign.

Rallies from high-profile politicians — including Trump, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard — were not enough to propel Lake to victory. Obama also visited Phoenix days before voters took to the polls in hopes of propelling Hobbs and other Democrats to victory.

Some members of the GOP in Arizona, including Mesa Mayor John Giles, broke ranks with their party and endorsed Hobbs in October. Term-limited Republican Gov. Doug Ducey endorsed Lake’s primary opponent Karrin Taylor Robson, but he ultimately backed Lake in the general election.

Arizona Republicans did score two victories Monday night: Rep. David Schweikert and Juan Ciscomani were declared victors Monday night in two of the state’s House races. Those two wins put Republicans at 214 seats; they need 218 to claim the majority in the House.

Olivia Olander and David Cohen contributed to this report.