Though Kari Lake, the Republican who lost last year in Arizona’s race for governor, has garnered a large amount of attention as she’s challenged the validity of her loss and potentially prepared to pursue other political roles, she’s not the only losing candidate from last year still up in arms.
Abe Hamadeh, the Republican nominee in last November’s race for the post of state attorney general in Arizona, also continues to challenge the circumstances of his extremely narrow loss. Now, the state Supreme Court has refused effectively to take up his challenge as proceedings continue at a lower level, finding that Hamadeh’s legal team actually misrepresented the basic facts around the proceedings that had already transpired. In seeking renewed action evidently including a new trial, Hamadeh’s team claimed to have sought a final judgment from the original trial judge of the sort that would provide the procedural foundation for a routine appeal. Except, they didn’t.
“In their responses, Respondents point out that this assertion was false, and Petitioners now concede in their reply that they have never asked the trial court for a final judgment,” the Arizona state Supreme Court’s latest ruling on Hamadeh’s challenge said. “Petitioners have therefore not established that they are entitled to special action relief.” Relatedly, that Arizona court has opted to direct that Hamadeh’s side cover the legal fees for respondents in the case that specifically relate to this procedural jaunt to the state’s highest court.
Respondents include Kris Mayes, the Democrat who was found to have won last year’s election over Hamadeh, and Adrian Fontes, the Arizona Secretary of State. In Arizona, the role Fontes holds entails leading the administration of elections around Arizona. The specific amounts for which Hamadeh’s team will be responsible have yet to be determined. Does he really expect observers to take seriously his claims the election was mishandled and votes were incorrectly tabulated to a meaningful extent when his team misrepresents these basic facts?
NEW: Arizona Supreme Court rejects failed attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh’s (R) special request for a new trial in his election contest against Attorney General Kris Mayes (D). Litigation will continue in lower courts.https://t.co/SUZtSxigYL
— Democracy Docket (@DemocracyDocket) August 24, 2023
