PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona Republican Party chairwoman Kelli Ward faces questions about her reelection last Saturday after she spent months promoting unsubstantiated claims of election fraud by former President Donald Trump, officials said.
Sergio Arellano, a southern Arizona businessman who narrowly lost by 42 votes to Ward in a runoff election, has asked state party officials for an audit of the election results, said Kim Owens, a Republican consultant and a spokesperson for Arellano. The audit has not yet happened, The Arizona Republic reported.
“This isn’t about the chairman’s race, this is about election integrity,” Arellano said in a written statement provided by Owens to The Arizona Republic.
Arellano also said he did not expect the audit to lead to a reversal of wins for Ward and others.
Ward did not immediately respond to an emailed request seeking comment.
Questions about the results came after the announced winner in another race was informed Ward had lost.
Arellano said “state committeemen are raising concerns and asking me to ask for an audit because only a candidate for party office can do so. So I’ve done that and we’re waiting for a response that lays out the when, where, and how of that process.”
Owens said on Tuesday that Arellano and the two other Republicans who challenged Ward sent another request asking for the audit to take place on Thursday.
Owens said she has not received a response to the request and declined to provide the letters to The Arizona Republic.
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