ARIZONA, USA — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake's attempt to have all of Arizona's election ballots counted by hand was dead on arrival at the Supreme Court of the United States.
Lake initially filed suit against then-Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs during her failed 2022 gubernatorial campaign, claiming that electronic ballot tabulators didn't provide a fair and accurate vote.
A lower court found that the claims by Lake and former Arizona State Rep. Mark Finchem — a Republican who ran for Secretary of State in 2022 — were "baseless" and ordered financial sanctions against their lawyers, for making false and misleading statements to the court. Lake appealed.
On Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed her appeal without comment, bringing an end to the case.
This is the latest in a series of legal losses for Lake, who recently said that she wouldn't defend herself against a defamation suit filed by Republican Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer. A Maricopa County judge will hold a status conference Wednesday on the next steps in the damages phase of the lawsuit.
Lake, who has been endorsed by Donald Trump, faces Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in the Republican primary.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
ARIZONA POLITICS
Get the latest Arizona political news on our 12News YouTube playlist here.
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.