Republicans Kari Lake, Abe Hamadeh and Mark Finchem have continued to appeal their 2022 election losses while running new campaigns for office this year.
The Arizona Supreme Court now says it will take a look at each of their cases the day after the 2024 election.
U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake is asking the justices to give her the chance to present what she claims is "new evidence'' about Election Day mechanical failures two years ago, when she lost her bid for Arizona governor.
Congressional candidate Abe Hamadeh argues a Mohave County judge improperly denied him time to find evidence of issues in his losing race for state attorney general.
State Senate candidate Mark Finchem is asking justices to decide if he has to pay nearly $50,000 in legal fees to Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, who beat Finchem in his 2022 campaign.
Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer told Capitol Media Services there is nothing at all nefarious about the scheduling. And she said there was no effort by the court to have the issues in the 2022 races decided before Nov. 5 — the day that all three are now running for different offices.
In fact, Timmer said if the challengers are unhappy with what they believe is any delay they have only themselves to blame.
She said there is a procedure for lawyers who need a more immediate decision than the normal course of appeals to seek accelerated appeal.
"I assume they've got very good attorneys, attorney that know what they're doing,'' Timmer said.
"They know our process," she continued. "Had they felt the need to accelerate it and to bring it to our attention they could have done it. And they didn't."
None of the failed 2022 candidates returned calls Monday seeking comment.
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