Party activist Sandra Dowling ‘s had concerns the party’s elections were marred by mistakes or fraud./YouTube
By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez | Arizona Republic
Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward attends a rally to protest election results and show support for President Donald Trump at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix on Jan. 6, 2021.
Arizona Republican activists are mounting an effort to force a do-over of the state party’s. Jan. 23 election of officers after Chair Kelli Ward and other party representatives brushed off their calls to audit the results and procedures.
The activists are gathering signatures from state committee people in the hopes of holding an April 24 special meeting “for a proper election.”
The unusual effort comes after activists for two months have raised questions about the validity of the results of the January election of the state GOP’s officers, and the procedures used to carry it out. Two activists have filed a lawsuit seeking to compel the state GOP to follow its rules allowing for challenges to the election results.
The contested elections have served as a political spectacle after many in the GOP — including Ward — baselessly accused election officials in Arizona and other states of botching the presidential election last year.
Ward received a second term as party chair after narrowly winning a runoff election.
