Democrat Katie Hobbs defeats Republican Kari Lake in Arizona gubernatorial election

Democrat Katie Hobbs has defeated Republican and former local news anchor Kari Lake in the Arizona gubernatorial race, NBC News, CNN, and The Associated Press project.

Hobbs, the Arizona secretary of state, won 50.41 percent percent of the vote with more than 95 percent of precincts reporting, while Lake secured 49.59 percent.

The seat belonging to outgoing, term-limited Gov. Doug Ducey (R) was up for grabs for either party, but the choice for voters could not have been more stark. Lake, a Trump-backed candidate, has repeatedly cast doubt on the validity of the 2020 election. She also refused to say whether she would accept the results of the election.

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Hobbs, crucially, flipped the gubernatorial seat back to Democrats in what is seen as a major victory for the party. The result represents an upset; while the race had been tight in polls going into Election Day, Lake had been holding onto a small lead.