Enter—once again—Kari Lake, well known to Arizonans as a notorious presidential election denier who still makes unevidenced claims about a Trump win in her campaign for U.S. Senate against Democrat, Ruben Gallego. 

Lake has said she will never accept the results of the 2020 presidential election and continues to deny losing her own 2022 gubernatorial race against Governor Katie Hobbs. 

Alongside Kari Lake, is Blake Masters running for Congress.

Both candidates have denied the 2020 presidential election results, both MAGA advocates will be on the Arizona November ballot.  

Northeast Valley News spoke with Valley voters along with Democratic political activist Ryan Teniceno about the Lake and Master’s campaigns. 

More than 42% of those questioned by Northeast Valley News over the weekend responded “no” as to whether they would vote for either Kari Lake or Blake Masters. 

“I’m sick of Kari Lake’s ridiculous lawsuits and her cry baby claims of election fraud, this woman’s actions have shown us what kind of a leader she would be,” said Karen Reingold of Paradise Valley. 

Teniceno is no stranger to Arizona politics. A lifelong activist who has worked for various Democratic campaigns and other pro-choice organizations gave Northeast Valley News his assessment on both Lake and Masters. 

“The former gubernatorial candidate, Kari Lake has never wavered from her unevidenced assertion that the 2020 presidential election was rigged along with numerous unsuccessful lawsuits alleging that her own race was “stolen” continues on with baseless claims. To date, none of her legal pursuits brought against various state election boards nor elected officials have been successful,” Teniceno said. 

Masters along with Lake embraced the 2020 election denial rhetoric. 

But Lake went further and refused to concede her own 2022 gubernatorial race and considered herself to be the rightful winner of that election even after Hobbs took office.  

“Even though Master’s has gone election denier “light” and was even criticized by Trump for accepting the presidential election results, Master’s is back in full swing as a pro-Trump MAGA supporter. We see his signs on the corners of Valley streets that read “Trump, Trump, Trump” or “Deport Illegals,” Teniceno said. 

“After Lake’s unsuccessful claims of election fraud and despite her call for then Secretary of State, Katie Hobbs to be imprisoned over Lake’s fictional election rigging claims, Ms. Lake continues to this day with her claims.” 

Teniceno said, just like Trump, Lake is an anti-choice extremist and Master’s is on the record as someone who said he would support a federal abortion ban—if elected, both would likely rip away reproductive freedoms if given the chance. 

“Trump brags about being the ‘only one’ who was able to overturn Roe v Wade,” Teniceno said. 

But Master’s has other problems according to Tenicena, and it’s with an important voting block, veterans.

During his bid for U.S. Senate against Sen. Mark Kelly, Masters was criticized for his comments about those who have served in the military

In an AzMirror report former Marine and Vietnam veteran, Don Womack, was in “disbelief” after hearing about Masters comments which include statements about the wholesale firing of military leaders and in a campaign video posted on Twitter—Masters called military leaders “incompetent” and “woke corporate bozos”.

“At the end of the day, what Masters has said is nothing short of disgraceful. His comments are nothing short of a personal attack on me and every other veteran and military family who has sacrificed to serve our country,” Womack said.

“Listening to a guy like Blake Masters insult our military while running against Mark Kelly, a Navy combat pilot, for the seat once occupied by the great Senator John McCain – well that’s an insult to everyone,” said retired National Guard Master Sergeant, Sue Ritz.

Ritz reportedly said that if Masters wants to criticize the military—he’s not exactly the one to do it—and distinguished a stark difference between Masters and Mark Kelly, Arizona’s current U.S. Senator who flew combat mission in the Gulf War.