Kelli Ward rejects Arizona GOP race audit request

Arizona Republican Party President Kelli Ward rejected requests for an audit of the party’s election last week, including for her own race for the party’s presidency.

During radio interview On Friday, in “The Conservative Circus with James T. Harris,” Ward swept aside criticism of how the party handled its January 23 election.

“There’s no procedure, process, rule that allows you to do it,” Ward said. “And you certainly don’t allow a challenger who lost an election to demand something that they are not entitled to, and we have no responsibility to deliver.”

Ward came under scrutiny this week over allegations of fraud in his election as party chair.

Sergio Arellano, whom Ward narrowly beaten for the post by 42 votes, requested an audit of all party elections after Sandra Dowling was incorrectly declared the winner of a general membership position for Congressional District 8.

Ward confirmed the mistake was made, but also said Dowling was contacted immediately about the mistake and the winner was announced. She said the only people requesting the audit are people who worked for the Arellano campaign.

“The only people who have requested an audit – which does not exist in our process, procedures, bylaws, in bylaws or in Robert’s rules – are Sergio and the people who work for his campaign,” Ward said. .

“We don’t have the structure to be able to do an audit, but we appreciate their contribution to make our elections more important,” she said.

Ward also accused the media covering the story of trying to “create something that just doesn’t exist.”

Ward has gained attention in recent months after rehearsing the former President TrumpDonald TrumpPalm Beach Reviews Trump’s Residence In Mar-a-Lago Immigration Reform Can’t Wait On The Money: Five Questions About The GameStop Controversy | Biden and Yellen call for swift action on new aid READ MOREUnsubstantiated claims that the election was stolen from him due to widespread electoral fraud.

President Biden narrowly won Arizona by around 10,500 votes over Trump, making Biden the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state since 1996.