An Arizona election denier is poised to become the chief election official in one of the most tightly divided battleground states in the country.
Mark Finchem, an Arizona state representative, is running with former President Donald Trump's endorsement in Tuesday's Republican primary for Arizona secretary of state, a position in which he would oversee the state's elections.
Finchem, a retired Michigan police officer and longtime member of the Oath Keepers far-right militia group, was at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and contends Trump lost Arizona because of rampant fraud, the Associated Press reported. He also introduced a resolution to decertify Joe Biden's election win in Arizona.
Finchem advocates for a radical shift in how elections are conducted, including a switch to ballot paper embedded with numerous "counter fraud" features, banning electronic voting machines and hand-counting ballots, according to the Arizona Republic.
Finchem is a member of the America First Secretary of State Coalition, which aims to get MAGA loyalists elected in key battleground states to influence election rules, according to Business Insider.
Trump, who gave his endorsement in September, has called Finchem "a true warrior" and "the kind of fighter we need to turn Arizona and our Country around."
"In addition to his incredibly powerful stance on the massive Voter Fraud that took place in the 2020 Presidential Election Scam, he is strong on Crime, Borders, our currently under siege Second Amendment, and loves our Military and our Vets," Trump said in a statement.
Finchem is running against House Member Shawnna Bolick, who contends the 2020 election was deeply flawed, and two Republicans who are not election deniers: Arizona State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita and businessman Beau Lane.
Finchem has a significant edge in the race, according to public poll published Friday. The poll, by OH Predictive Insights, indicates that Finchem has a lead (14%) over his opponents who are fighting for a distant second: Ugenti-Rita (6%), Lane (5%) and Bolick (3%).
The Democratic primary is a faceoff between Adrian Fontes, the former top election official for Maricopa County, and state House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding, Politico reported. Current Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is not seeking reelection as she is running for governor.
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