PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey has congratulated Democrat Katie Hobbs on her victory in a "hard-fought" race to become his successor.
For the first time since the Nov. 8 election, the Republican governor publicly celebrated Hobbs' win over Kari Lake in the governor's race.
"All of us have waited patiently for the democratic process to play out," Ducey said in a tweet Wednesday. "The people of Arizona have spoken, their votes have been counted and we respect their decision."
The unofficial results show Hobbs beating Lake by 17,116 votes. Lawsuits have begun to be filed by Republicans who have criticized how polling places were managed in Maricopa County on Election Day.
Lake, a former Fox10 news anchor, has called the recent general election a "debacle" and has said she'll "continue fighting until we restore confidence and faith in our elections."
Maricopa County officials have been aggressively batting down rumors and claims suggesting they mishandled the election.