Originally published October 11, 2023

Arizonans are now left with only the consolation of fellow members that have joined the, “I’m so sick of Kari Lake fan club.”

Yep, she’s back.

Kari Lake, the GOP election denier who lost her race for Arizona governor against Katie Hobbs (and never conceded but filed numerous unsuccessful lawsuits) announced her run for US Senate on Tuesday.

The former TV news anchor has continued to solicit false claims about her own unsuccessful run for governor as well as the claims made by her favorite fixation, Donald Trump.

Lake has launched several election denial lawsuits in court, all unsuccessful, but under the umbrella of being the “rightful governor” of Arizona.

On Tuesday Lake went at it again with her tried and true campaign tactics.

She appeared with full make-up, a fresh suit and was microphoned up when she made a stalk-like confrontation at Congressman Ruben Gallego as he was walking in the Phoenix airport last week. Corralling the congressman she spewed well-rehearsed criticisms about the US/Mexico border and told the congressman, that the Senate race would be a “knock-down, drag-out.”

After the mid-terms and literally months after Kari Lake’s defeat to Katie Hobbs in Arizona’s race for governor, Lake continues her election denials and won’t let any of us forget it.

She has filed numerous legal claims that have ranged from questioning Arizona’s election procedures to actual vote tallies as well as the results of several legitimate audits.

Lake, during her campaign, liked to proclaim that she was a journalist even though most reputable journalists refer to evidenced facts, but her gubernatorial podium talking points included one of the most vocal election denier mantra’s ever—even as countless records show zero evidence of election fraud despite Donald Trump’s claims that he didn’t lose to President Joe Biden.

But Lake, the staunch Trump loyalist, adopted the election denier stance as her own—big time.

She has had her day in court/s—and Lake has had it at the expense of Arizona taxpayers.

In a December ruling, Lake’s claim was rejected by the court that— defective printers and other issues with the 2022 election were “intentional misconduct,” and the ruling was upheld February by an appeals court.

In March, the state’s high court declined to hear the appeal of Lake’s Feb. filing but the Arizona Supreme Court sent her claim challenging the signature verification back to the trial court.

Ultimately after a three-day trial, Judge Thompson, who was appointed by former Republican Gov. Jan Brewer,  found “no clear and convincing evidence or preponderance of evidence that such misconduct was committed by ‘an officer making or participating in a canvas,” according to the ruling and reported by the Associated Press.

He also found no evidence that alleged misconduct affected the election’s outcome.

“I’m so sick and tired of Kari Lake’s whining,” said longtime registered Republican Nathan Richman of Phoenix, “I actually voted for her, but I will never vote for Lake again.”

When Northeast Valley News asked some Valley voters of their impression of Kari Lake, the responses usually came with chuckles or eye rolls.

Only one woman, who only wanted to identify herself as a “staunch Lake supporter ”still believes that Lake was the victim of an organized cover up and is certain that the Democrats had something to do with it.

The majority of Valley voters we spoke with responded unfavorably about Lake’s continued denial and anger over her election loss and the continued “fraud” allegations as well as the growing cost to taxpayers.

One younger voter, Kelli Howard, who registered to vote for the first time after the Roe v Wade decision, told Northeast Valley News, “I think a lot of people expected Kari Lake to deny losing because she talked about winning so much during her campaign and that if she lost she would never accept it—and she hasn’t.”

And now she’s running for the Senate.