Arizona governor will not declare election win until lawsuits are settled

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said in a press conference on Wednesday that he would not be recognizing a victory for Joe Biden or Donald Trump in the state of Arizona until all of the lawsuits have been settled, the Phoenix New Times reports. It was the Governor's first press conference since the election.

Ducey said that he had faith in the electoral system of Arizona, but would nevertheless await the results of the legal challenges.

"There are questions and those questions should be answered," Ducey told reporters. He continued by saying "[there] are legal claims that are being challenged in court. Once those are adjudicated and the process plays out, I will accept the results of the election." The governor also said that he has not personally looked into the lawsuits.

There are currently two lawsuits in Arizona challenging the state's election results. Thus far no evidence of widespread voter fraud has been discovered, but GOP officials are calling for the state's election certification to be delayed due to issues with ballots and polling places.

President Trump has called for an audit of the state's election results, noting the close margin of victory for Biden in the state. While Biden came out with a massive early lead on election night, resulting in Fox News declaring him the winner of the state far earlier than other outlets, the former Vice President's lead in the state has since dwindled to roughly 10,000 votes.

The GOP has also called for a hand recount of the ballots in Maricopa County, the largest county in the state and home to a little over half of Arizona's population. Republican Party officials have asserted that the voting machines may have been hacked, although no evidence has thus far substantiated this claim.

The Governor was criticized by Arizona's Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, along with other unnamed officials, in a written statement. Hobbs accused politicians of spreading misinformation about the election which has lead to threats being directed at her and her family. Turning her attention to the Governor, Hobbs states that his "deafening silence has contributed to the growing unrest" and that he needs "to stand up for the truth."

The Secretary of State, who is responsible for certifying the election results, has been criticized for referring to Trump supporters as "neo-Nazis," calling into question her objectivity on the matter.

Governor Ducey has also been criticized for evading the press since the election delivered contested results in the state. Until Wednesday, he was the only governor in the country to not have spoken to the press directly.