'''ELECTIONS
Here's where election-denying candidates are running to control voting'''
January 4, 20221:20 PM ET
Miles Parks
Mark Finchem was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
He says he didn't go inside, but he snapped some photos of people who did.
"What happens when the People feel they have been ignored, and Congress refuses to acknowledge rampant fraud. #stopthesteal," he tweeted.
The Arizona state representative was there to share what he called "evidence" of an "irredeemably compromised" 2020 election with Republican lawmakers from his home state of Arizona. To be clear, Republican election officials in the state deemed the results "free, fair, and accurate" and even a discredited GOP-led "audit" run in the state's largest county agreed Biden won.
More recently, Finchem also appeared at a QAnon conference, and in speaking with NPR declined to describe what happened at the Capitol as a riot or an insurrection, instead making allusions to a sort of conspiracy involving law enforcement.
Now, he is running to oversee voting in Arizona in 2022.
And he's not alone.
An NPR analysis of 2022 secretary of state races across the country found at least 15 Republican candidates running who question the legitimacy of President Biden's 2020 win, even though no evidence of widespread fraud has been uncovered about the race over the last 14 months. In fact, claims of any sort of fraud that swung the election have been explicitly refuted in state after state, including those run by Republicans.
Election doubters and deniers running for Secretary of State in 2022
GEORGIA (Biden +0.2 pts. in 2020)
Rep. Jody Hice Objected to certification in Congress on Jan. 6, 2021. TRUMP ENDORSED
David Belle Isle Said Georgia results should not have been certified.
ARIZONA (Biden +0.3 pts. in 2020)
State Rep. Mark Finchem Attended Stop the Steal rallies in Jan, and spoke of election fraud in Virginia before that state's governor's race. TRUMP ENDORSED
State Rep. Shawnna Bolick Introduced bill that would give legislators the power to overturn an election, in response to fraud claims, and voted not to certify the 2020 election in Arizona.
WISCONSIN (Biden +0.6 pts. in 2020)
Jay Schroeder Called for Wisconsin electors to be rescinded in 2020.
NEVADA (Biden +2.4 pts. in 2020)
Jim Marchant Said 2020 election was stolen from him and Trump.
MICHIGAN (Biden +2.7 pts. in 2020)
Kristina Karamo Pushed 2020 election conspiracy theories, and conspiracy theory that it was actually Antifa who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6. TRUMP ENDORSED
MINNESOTA (Biden +7.2 pts. in 2020)
Kim Crockett Cast doubt on 2020 election results and broader election infrastructure.
OHIO (Trump +8 pts. in 2020)
John Adams Said there were "shenanigans" in the 2020 election that have not yet been resolved.
NEW MEXICO (Biden +10.8 pts. in 2020)
Audrey Trujillo Shared a number of conspiracy theories about voter fraud on her personal twitter.
COLORADO (Biden +13.5 pts. in 2020)
David Winney Campaign website linked to videos alleging fraud and says "the overwhelming evidence of stolen election(s) cannot be ignored."
KANSAS (Trump +14.6 pts. in 2020)
Mike Brown Defended former President Trump "asking questions" about election results.
ARKANSAS (Trump +27.6 pts. in 2020)
Eddie Joe Williams Said he's "not sure" if Biden actually won.
CALIFORNIA (Biden +29.2 pts. in 2020)
Rachel Hamm Attended QAnon conference last fall, and endorsed by election denial leader Mike Lindell.
MASSACHUSETTS (Biden +33.6 pts. in 2020)
Rayla Campbell Posted photos during a previous campaign wearing a QAnon shirt.
Source: 2020 election results from AP
Credit: Miles Parks and Nick Underwood/NPR
(blah blah scary warning continues…)
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/04/1069232219/heres-where-election-deniers-and-doubters-are-running-to-control-voting?
photo ; Rep. Mark Finchem, of Arizona, gestures as he speaks during an election rally in Richmond, Va., in October.
Steve Helber/AP