The latest poll in Arizona’s high-profile gubernatorial race shows Republican Kari Lake widening her margin of victory over Democrat Katie Hobbs.
The poll, conducted by the Trafalgar Group between September 14 and September 17 among 1,080 likely 2022 voters, shows Lake with a lead of 50 percent to 45.6 percent.
The margin of error for the poll is 2.9 percent and it has a confidence level of 95 percent.
The results represent a large increase for Lake’s campaign since the last Trafalgar poll, which was released at the end of August.
At that point, Lake had only a .7 percent lead over Hobbs, at 46.5 percent to Hobbs’s 45.8 percent.
The sample size, margin of error, and confidence level for the August poll were nearly identical to the more recent poll.
News that Lake leads the race by a significant margin comes after a month of challenging her Democrat opponent – also Arizona’s secretary of state – to a debate, which has turned into a debacle for the Hobbs campaign.
Hobbs has refused to share a stage with Lake throughout the campaign, while Lake has offered up a sweetheart deal for her opponent – the ability to choose the time and place, and even to choose the questions that would be asked.
But Hobbs turned down the invitation.
“For the first time in the history of our state there will be no Clean Elections gubernatorial debate,” said Lake last week. “Bucking state tradition, my opponent Katie Hobbs has made it official: she will not share a debate stage with me under any circumstance.”
In response, Lake offered to extend the deadline for Hobbs to accept the debate challenge all the way up until October 12.
“You think this issue is going to go away – that Arizonans will just throw up their hands and say, ‘oh well, no debate this year,'” said Lake. “Well, you’re sorely mistaken. I have asked the clean elections commission to extend the deadline for you to confirm your attendance to the day of the debate. Should you grow a spine between now and October 12, there will be an empty chair waiting for you on the debate stage.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Kari Lake” by The Kari Lake.
I strongly suggest that Ms. Lake hold a “one-person*” debate if Ms. Hobbs continues to refuse. Present the questions that would be asked at a regular debate and make absolutely no mention of or reference to Ms. Hobbs. At the introduction, state that the questions to be presented are those that would normally be asked during a regular debate, again not mentioning Ms Hobbs.
* This is otherwise known as a question and answer period.