Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita briefly addressed the attendees at the “Rally to Protect Our Elections” hosted by Turning Point Action in Phoenix on July 24, 2021. The crowd loudly booed Ugenti-Rita, forcing her to cut short her remarks. /Photo by Gage Skidmore /Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
By Jeremy Duda | Arizona Mirror
After being booed off the stage at a weekend rally headlined by former President Donald Trump, Republican state senator and secretary of state hopeful Michelle Ugenti-Rita publicly lashed out at the Senate’s “botched” election review and defended her record on election integrity over criticism for voting against a fellow GOP senator’s election legislation.
Ugenti-Rita, a Scottsdale Republican who’s long been one the legislature’s most prominent Arizona advocates for “election integrity” legislation, was among the roster of candidates and political figures with speaking slots at the “Rally to Protect Our Elections,” an event hosted by Turning Point Action, an arm of the conservative organization Turning Point USA.
Boos filled the auditorium at Arizona Federal Theatre as soon as Ugenti-Rita began her remarks, rising in volume and intensity as she struggled to finish her speech.
“Pay attention,” she implored the crowd. “Why don’t you listen to what I have to say?”
Ugenti-Rita ended her speech prematurely, telling the crowd of about 5,000, “I am running to be your next secretary of state. I’m going to win the primary. Thank you very much.”
The hostile reception was the result of Ugenti-Rita’s ongoing feud with fellow Republican Sen. Kelly Townsend.
