Arizona judge dismisses Finchem’s election challenge in secretary of state race

An Arizona judge on Friday dismissed Republican Mark Finchem's lawsuit seeking a new secretary of state election after he lost the race in November to Democrat Adrian Fontes.

In her ruling, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Melissa Julian dismissed Finchem’s lawsuit against Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, and Fontes, confirming Fontes' election win.

Following the midterm elections, lawyers for Finchem, a prominent election denier, filed the lawsuit earlier this month requesting a redo of the election and alleging that Hobbs had engaged in misconduct.

He claimed that Hobbs, the state's governor-elect, should have recused herself in the election, failed to ensure the proper certification of voting machines and had flagged posts on his Twitter account that resulted in a suspension.