Arizona Legislature

Arizona Election Controversy: Kari Lake Alleges Media Interference in 2022 Governor's Race

In Arizona's 2022 gubernatorial race, a heated dispute about debate arrangements has rekindled with Republican candidate Kari Lake making serious accusations against Arizona State University and the state's public media network.

The dispute stems from what happened when Democratic contender Katie Hobbs refused to take part in an arranged debate with Kari Lake for the position of governor. 

Internal messages show that ASU President Michael Crow and university officials, including former Republic publisher Mi-Ai Parrish, discussed how to respond to the incident, according to recent research by The Arizona Republic.

In these private conversations, Michael Crow allegedly called Lake a "election denier," and Parrish allegedly said that Lake's position on election outcomes should not be discussed on television. After all of this, the university went ahead and offered Katie Hobbs a chance to do a solo interview on Arizona PBS, the television network that is linked with ASU.

In a statement issued on August 7th, Lake characterized these actions as a coordinated effort to silence her campaign and influence the election outcome.

"Taxpayer-funded Michael Crow and taxpayer-funded ASU, along with taxpayer-funded PBS, colluded to prevent me from having a debate forum," Lake stated. 

She argued that the officials feared she would discuss election-related concerns and believed Hobbs would have performed poorly in the debate.

Lake has described the incident as both an infringement on her constitutional rights and potential election interference.

Rejecting Lake's statements, ASU has emphasized that both candidates were given the same opportunities. Following the cancellation of the initial debate, ASU and Arizona PBS tried to provide Arizona voters a chance to meet the gubernatorial candidates in person, according to university spokesperson Jay Thorne.

"It was an opportunity provided under identical conditions to each candidate and only one accepted the offer," Thorne stated, noting that Lake chose not to participate in the interview that was offered to both candidates.

A long-standing agreement between the Clean Elections Commission and Arizona PBS to host political debates was terminated as a result of the disagreement, ending an era in the state's electoral coverage.

Because ASU and Arizona PBS are taxpayer-funded organizations, their decision-making processes are more challenged during election seasons.

The controversy continues as both sides defend their actions from what became one of Arizona's most heated gubernatorial races in recent years. 

The allegations have raised questions about how public institutions should handle political coverage and whether they gave both candidates fair treatment.

Ericka Piñon

Ericka Pinon is a state and federal reporter for Cactus Politics. She was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and is fluent in both English and Spanish. She is currently studying Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University.

Recent Posts

Biggs Praises Turner's New Section 8 Ruling, Pushes for KAMALA Act

Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) praised Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner's new rule requiring…

13 hours ago

Arizona Officials Honor Workers on Labor Day, Celebrating the American People

Across Arizona, elected officials on both sides expressed gratitude Monday recognizing the contributions of the…

17 hours ago

After Stanton's Washington Visit, Concerns Spark Due To FEMA Cuts

Nearly 200 current and former FEMA employees have raised concerns about recent changes at the…

17 hours ago

SNAKEBITE— 9.1.25— AG Mayes Secures AmeriCorps Funds— March on Washington— New Tax Laws, Biggs vs. Robson, Gallego, Much More...

AG Mayes Secures AmeriCorps Funds This week, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes revealed that more…

19 hours ago

AmeriCorps Funds Restored Following Legal Action Led by AG Mayes

This week, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes revealed that more than $184 million in AmeriCorps…

4 days ago

Senator Kelly Reflects on the 62nd Anniversary of the March on Washington

On the 62nd anniversary of the March on Washington, Senator Mark Kelly issued a statement…

4 days ago