Hamadeh’s Determined Pursuit: A Second Chance for the AG Race Vote

Abe Hamadeh, the Republican candidate for Congress, remains adamant about challenging his 2022 election loss to Democrat Kris Mayes in the attorney general race, regardless of his potential Congressional election in November.

Erica Knight, Hamadeh’s public relations representative, stated that a possible victory in Congressional District 8 against Democrat Gregory Whitten will not deter Hamadeh from pursuing his legal claims. He argues that he was improperly denied access to crucial evidence during his initial challenge, which he lost by a narrow margin of 280 votes. After finally receiving some materials, his request for a new trial was denied by Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen.

Currently, Hamadeh seeks to overturn Jantzen’s denial in the Arizona Supreme Court.

A central aspect of Hamadeh’s claims involves his contention that Jantzen unlawfully prohibited him from reviewing the “cast vote record,” a vital document that electronically details how voters cast their ballots while ensuring voter anonymity. He believes analyzing this data could uncover discrepancies in the vote tally, particularly regarding “under votes”—instances where voters did not select a candidate for attorney general despite participating in other races.

Hamadeh asserts that with access to the cast vote record, he could verify whether some ballots mistakenly did not register his name.

In its decision not to reverse Jantzen’s ruling, the Court of Appeals pointed out that Hamadeh did not demonstrate how this information could potentially alter the election results.

Additionally, Hamadeh is pressing for access to a list of Maricopa County voters whose provisional ballots were rejected, claiming procedural changes at the Motor Vehicle Division may have led to wrongful rejections. He believes these rejected ballots could sway the outcome in his favor.

However, the appellate court reiterated that Hamadeh failed to explain how accommodating those ballots would likely affect the election results.

Hamadeh’s petition for Supreme Court review was submitted in May, but the latest recorded activity occurred on June 10, where Mayes provided her response. A hearing date has not been established yet, leaving Hamadeh frustrated.

Knight expressed her discontent regarding the timeline, suggesting the court is delaying the case. She noted that while Hamadeh is focused on saving his country, the urgency of reviewing this significant election remains lacking.

In recent developments, another judge dismissed Hamadeh’s claims about alleged voting irregularities witnessed during the 2022 election in Maricopa County, where he blamed long lines on printer issues, leading to disenfranchised voters.

In a new ruling, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney upheld his previous dismissal of Hamadeh’s claims, emphasizing that the legal challenges posed were submitted too late according to electoral statutes.

Judge Blaney clarified that while the lawsuit was dismissed, Hamadeh was not liable for the legal fees incurred by Maricopa County officials, rooting this in the absence of any improper actions by Hamadeh in filing the lawsuit.

In his ongoing pursuit, Hamadeh has framed three distinct arguments regarding his 2022 election loss, including claims against Mayes for allegedly holding her office illegally due to incorrect early ballot counts, which were also dismissed by the courts.