Let America Vote (LAV) President Tiffany Muller released the following statement on the announcement that State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita is seeking the Republican nomination for Secretary of State in Arizona. The announcement of Ugenti-Rita as a candidate for Secretary of State comes as Senate Republicans are leading a 2020 sham “audit” of the state’s largest county based on baseless election conspiracies and passing a measure to strip Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’s ability to defend election lawsuits. Ugenti-Rita was named to Let America Vote’s Hall of Shame during the 2020 cycle for her abysmal record on voting.
“It’s no surprise that the Arizona Republicans have one of the worst possible candidates for Secretary of State to oversee the voting process. State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita has made it her mission to restrict Arizonans’ access to the ballot and make it harder for seniors, veterans and rural voters to vote. Her dismal record on voting rights in the state legislature should be an immediate disqualifier.
“Arizonans have a model Secretary of State in Katie Hobbs who has fought tooth and nail to protect the freedom to vote and ensure the safety and security of Arizona’s election throughout the 2020 election and in the midst of the partisan, dark-money fueled attack on voting rights in the state. Arizonans next chief elections officer should follow in her footsteps. The state deserves a Secretary of State who actually believes that every Arizonan should have a voice in their democracy.”
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