A Republican lawmaker is challenging the candidacy of a fellow Republican in another district.
Rep. David Cook (R-Globe) requested in a letter released on Tuesday that Democratic Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes looks into GOP candidate Michael Way — who is running to represent the East Valley in Legislative District 15.
Way is accused of violating election laws by registering and voting in both North Carolina and Arizona. It’s the subject of an ongoing lawsuit, but Cook says the government needs to investigate too.
“I kept waiting for my own party's leadership to step up and say, ‘You know what? This needs to be looked into,’ not run and bury your head in the sand like it's not even happening,” Cook said on Tuesday.
The attorney general’s spokesperson confirmed receipt of Cook’s letter but declined to comment further.
Cook represents a different district of Arizona and lost his primary reelection bid, but he says he personally takes issue with so-called “carpetbaggers” and is issuing this complaint because he cares about election integrity.
Way did not respond to a request for comment.
He was in court on Tuesday defending himself in an evidentiary hearing. Attorney Tim La Sota is representing Republican activist Deborah Kirkland who is trying to make Way ineligible as a candidate.
“He doesn’t think you need to be a resident of the state where you vote,” La Sota said of Way. “Having a situation where a person can vote even, when they’re not a resident — you can see the kind of violence that would do to our voter registration laws, and frankly, to our laws to affect voter integrity. I mean, it’s one of the craziest notions I’ve ever heard.”
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge has taken the case under advisement.
In LD17, Way, incumbent Rep. Neal Carter (R-San Tan Valley) and Democrat Barbara Beneitone are the only candidates who survived the primary election.
The district is heavily conservative, and La Sota says he expects anyone with an “R” next to their name can win there.
There’s some disagreement between La Sota and the Secretary of State’s Office about how to proceed if and when Way is no longer considered a legitimate candidate.
La Sota argues the votes for Way should be counted, but it depends on whether Way’s absence is deemed a “ballot vacancy.” Alternatively, any votes for him could just be thrown out.
A Republican write-in candidate could also run for the seat.
