An Arizona election official in Maricopa County expressed his desire to run for Senate to disrupt Republican candidate Kari Lake, according to court documents. Stephen Richer, the outgoing Maricopa County Recorder, made these comments during a deposition in a defamation case he filed against Lake, as reported by The Daily Mail.
Richer’s role in overseeing ballots that could impact the Senate race between Lake and Democrat Ruben Gallego has raised concerns about his impartiality in conducting fair elections.
During the deposition, Richer acknowledged making the comments but stated that he never seriously considered running for Senate to oppose Lake.
When questioned about his motives to target Lake, Richer responded, “I don’t remember. I don’t think she’s a real conservative.”
Lake has raised concerns about the handling of ballots in Maricopa County, alleging intentional misconduct and failure to verify signatures on mail-in ballots, which she believes led to her defeat in the 2022 governor’s race against Democrat Katie Hobbs.
Despite legal challenges to contest the election results, Lake’s efforts have been unsuccessful.
Neither Lake nor Richer provided immediate comments on the matter.
