Arizona election deniers Kari Lake and Mark Finchem have not conceded
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Kari Lake and Mark Finchem. Photos: Jon Cherry/Bloomberg via Getty Images and Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
As vote counting wraps up in Arizona, it's become clear who will win most of the close statewide races. What's not clear is whether the losers will accept the results.
Why it matters: Concessions support the peaceful transition of power and encourage a losing candidate's supporters to accept the will of the majority of voters.
State of play: The Associated Press and other news organizations have called the governor and secretary of state races, saying there aren't enough ballots left to change the current leads held by the Democratic nominees.
- GOP candidates Kari Lake and Mark Finchem have not conceded their races, and they've insinuated fraud is the only reason they came up short.
The latest: Lake tweeted, "Arizonans know BS when they see it," after her race was called. In the days prior, she appeared on conservative TV shows claiming the election was mismanaged.
- Finchem has gone on a Twitter rant, saying that polling showed there was no way he could lose and that "the results from the machines defy all math."
Zoom out: These candidates, both of whom were endorsed by former President Trump, are following in his footsteps.
- Trump never officially conceded after he lost the 2020 election and has insisted that fraud or some other malicious behavior was the only reason he lost.
- In July, Lake and Finchem commended Trump for refusing to concede and told their supporters they also wouldn't if they lost.
What's next: Election results aren't final until each county canvasses them by Dec. 5 and the Secretary of State certifies them.
- Of note: If any race shows a margin of victory of or less than 0.5%, a recount will be conducted after the state's canvass. The races for attorney general and superintendent of public instruction races are likely to require a recount.
What we're watching: Canvass votes used to be humdrum bureaucratic affairs, but supporters of Lake and Finchem will likely show up this year to object to the county supervisors' confirmation of the election's outcome.
1 surprising thing: State Sen. Wendy Rogers, one of the most ardent 2020 election deniers in the country, seemed to be coming to terms with the losses during an appearance Monday night on "The Charlie Kirk Show."
- "We wonder now if we were in an echo chamber. I don't know. I'm just beginning to get some perspective."
Of note: Rogers won re-election in her northern Arizona district.