Challenges in the Life of Kari Lake in a Detailed Timeline

Resilience and perseverance in the journey of Kari Lake. A timeline of obstacles and growth.

Kari Lake is an American political figure and former television news anchor. She served as special advisor to the US Agency for Global Media starting in 2025. Lake was the Republican nominee for Arizona governor in 2022 and for US Senate in Arizona in 2024, losing both elections.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2020: Promotion of False Claims

In 2020, Kari Lake's campaign was marked by various controversies, including promoting false claims of Trump winning the 2020 presidential election.

April 2022: Lake and Finchem Sue State Officials

In April 2022, Lake and Mark Finchem sued state officials, seeking to ban electronic voting machines from being used in her 2022 election.

August 2022: Suit Dismissed by Judge Tuchi

In August 2022, U.S. District Judge John Tuchi dismissed the suit, stating that Lake and Finchem lacked standing.

October 2022: Appeal Rejected by Ninth Circuit

In October 2022, Finchem and Lake's appeal, aimed at banning electronic voting machines, was rejected by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

November 7, 2022: Campaign Office Incident

On November 7, 2022, Lake's campaign stated that on November 6, a campaign staffer "opened an envelope delivered to our campaign office that contained suspicious white powder. It was one of two envelopes that were confiscated by law enforcement" for testing.

November 14, 2022: Media Outlets Projected Election Loss

On November 14, 2022, multiple media outlets projected that Kari Lake had narrowly lost the gubernatorial election to Katie Hobbs.

December 9, 2022: Lake Files Suit Seeking to Overturn Election Results

On December 9, 2022, after Arizona certified the election results, Lake filed a new suit in state court, seeking a court order to either overturn Hobbs' victory or redo the election in Maricopa County.

December 2022: Lake's Lawyers Sanctioned

In December 2022, Judge Tuchi sanctioned Lake's lawyers for making false and unsupported assertions, ordering them to pay the defendants' attorney fees.

2022: Unsuccessful Gubernatorial Candidate

In 2022, Kari Lake was the unsuccessful Republican Party nominee in the Arizona gubernatorial election.

January 2023: Analysis of Arizona Election Results

In January 2023, the Audit Guys analyzed the election data and found that over 33,000 Republican voters in Maricopa County voted for Hobbs instead of Lake, and nearly 6,000 Republican-leaning voters did not vote in the gubernatorial election or wrote in another candidate. They concluded that these voters could have flipped the result of the election had they voted for Lake.

February 16, 2023: Lake's Appeal Rejected by Arizona Court of Appeals

On February 16, 2023, a three-judge panel of the Arizona Court of Appeals unanimously rejected Lake's appeal.

March 22, 2023: Arizona Supreme Court Denies Hearing Lake's Lawsuit

On March 22, 2023, the Arizona Supreme Court denied Lake's request to hear her lawsuit, ruling that the lower courts had correctly dismissed six of her seven legal claims.

May 2023: Arizona Supreme Court Sanctions Lake's Lawyers

In May 2023, the Arizona Supreme Court imposed a $2,000 fine on Lake's lawyers for making false factual statements to the Court.

May 22, 2023: Judge Rules Against Lake in Remaining Claim

After a three-day trial, on May 22, 2023, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson ruled against Lake for her remaining claim on signature verification, re-affirming Hobbs' election.

June 2023: Maricopa County Recorder Sues Lake for Defamation

In June 2023, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer sued Lake for defamation, alleging that she accused him of sabotaging the 2022 election. Richer claimed that Lake's statements caused threats against him and his family.

July 2023: Motion Denied to Appeal Directly to Arizona Supreme Court

In July 2023, Lake tried to appeal directly to the Arizona Supreme Court, which denied her motion to do so, citing "no good cause".

November 2023: Court Ruled Against Lake in Maricopa County Lawsuit

In November 2023, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John Hannah ruled against Kari Lake in her lawsuit against Maricopa County. The court cited risks of voter fraud, harassment, and identity theft as reasons for denying the release of voters' personal information.

December 2023: Judge Denies Lake's Motion to Dismiss Defamation Suit

In December 2023, a Maricopa County judge denied Lake's motion to dismiss the defamation suit, ruling that her statements were not protected by the First Amendment if proven false.

March 2024: Appeal to Supreme Court

In March 2024, Finchem and Lake appealed to the United States Supreme Court regarding the banning of electronic voting machines.

March 2024: Lake Abandoned Appeal of Hannah's Ruling

In March 2024, Kari Lake abandoned her appeal of Judge Hannah's ruling against her in the Maricopa County lawsuit.

March 2024: Lake Requests Default Judgment Against Herself

In March 2024, Lake requested a hearing for a default judgment against herself in the defamation case, deciding not to contest the defamation claim.

April 2024: Supreme Court Rejects Lawsuit

In April 2024, the United States Supreme Court rejected Finchem and Lake's lawsuit regarding electronic voting machines.

June 2024: Ninth Circuit Denies Appeal

In June 2024, Finchem and Lake appealed again to the Ninth Circuit, which tersely denied the appeal.

June 2024: Lake's Appeal Rejected by Arizona Court of Appeals

In June 2024, Lake's appeal was rejected by the Arizona Court of Appeals, with Judge Sean Brearcliffe stating that Lake's claimed "8,000 uncounted votes" could not overcome her loss margin.

July 2024: Appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court

In July 2024, Lake appealed to the Arizona Supreme Court following the rejection by the Arizona Court of Appeals.

November 2024: Lake Defeated in General Election

In November 2024, Kari Lake was defeated by Democratic nominee Ruben Gallego in the general election. Lake received approximately 80,000 fewer votes than Gallego.

November 2024: Arizona Supreme Court Declines to Hear Lake's Appeal

In November 2024, the Arizona Supreme Court declined to hear Lake's appeal, ensuring the lower courts' rulings were maintained and ending Lake's legal challenge against the 2022 election result.