Arizona governor’s race called in favor of Katie Hobbs

Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs is likely to win Arizona’s governorship, according to preliminary unofficial numbers from The Associated Press. Early Tuesday with 98 percent of precincts reporting, Hobbs was winning with about just over 50 percent of the vote, while Republican contender Kari Lake gathered more than 49 percent of the vote. The AP and CNN called the race for Hobbs late Monday, and Hobbs claimed victory on Twitter.

Who are Hobbs and Lake? Secretary of State Katie Hobbs ran after the 2020 election’s rampant allegations of voter fraud, insisting as the top election official in the state that the election was conducted fairly. She has supported voting reforms, as well as education reforms to boost teachers’ pay, increase child tax credits, and make preschool and kindergarten voluntary. She is pro-abortion and has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood and Emily’s List. Former Phoenix television anchor Kari Lake snagged the Republican nomination with an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. She ran on election security concerns and has said that Democrats stole the 2020 election from Trump.

Dig deeper: Read our political reporting team’s election guide for Arizona in The Stew.