How Mark Finchem's victory was accidentally aided by moderate business leaders like Gov. Doug Ducey?

How Mark Finchem's victory was accidentally aided by moderate business leaders like Gov. Doug Ducey? 

On Friday, July 22, 2022, in Prescott Valley, Mark Finchem, a candidate for secretary of state, welcomes the crowd at the Findlay Toyota Center during a Save America rally.

 

It should come as no surprise that Mark Finchem won the GOP nomination for secretary of state in a primary that attracted the party's most ardent supporters.

 

It helped to have the former president's support.

 

But there's also a case to be made that Governor Doug Ducey and the moderate business community contributed to ensuring Finchem's victory.

Little distinguishes Finchem and Bolick

Three Republicans with political backgrounds competed in the contest. Two, Rep. Shawnna Bolick and Finchem, openly backed Donald Trump and spread the myth that electoral fraud prevented the former president from winning a second term.

 

Democratic lesson: In the battle for secretary of state, whomever stumbles last loses.

 

They are just separated by a few degrees. Both stated that they wouldn't have certified the 2020 election results if they had been secretary of state. And both endorsed a letter to then-Vice President Mike Pence requesting either the acceptance of a different slate of electors for Trump or the annulment of all electoral votes until an audit could be conducted.

Bolick, though, fell short of Finchem in terms of support for Trump. He is generally recognised as the driving force behind the "Stop the Steal" movement in Arizona and was a key figure in organising the event on January 6, 2021, which culminated in the assault of the Capitol.

 

Ugenti-Rita provided part of Lane's assistance.

 

Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita was the last remaining option. And one who understands policy. She was the lawmaker behind the legislation that outlaws "ballot harvesting" (which survived a challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court) and another that prevents infrequent voters from receiving early ballots automatically.

 

She left the party, along with retiring Sen. Paul Boyer, to denounce the GOP-approved Senate audit, calling it "botched."

In order to enter the race as an outsider—someone who was not contaminated by the odour of the Cyber Ninjas audit and above the poisonous politics emanating from the state Capitol—the business community introduced Beau Lane into the fray.

 

In reality, aside from his commercial background, Lane's position on policy was identical to Ugenti- Rita's. He went so far as to disassociate himself from businessmen who had encouraged him to run by describing her measure to update the Permanent Early Voting List as voter suppression. Lane claimed during the campaign that the legislation was a sensible measure.

 

In the last days of the campaign, the governor's endorsement helped Lane's campaign gain momentum.

Expect yet another referendum in 2020 Lane finished in second place with 25% of the vote, far behind Bolick and Ugenti-Rita who both had much smaller war chests.

 

It's likely that Ugenti-Rita would have gotten the majority of his votes and had a chance to beat Finchem if he hadn't entered the campaign and had received the establishment's backing and funding.

 

Consequently, the GOP would have had its best candidate for the position.

Instead of being about actual issues, the secretary of state contest in November will serve as yet another Trump and 2020 electoral referendum.

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