Vicious Attacks During Both Final Forums for Arizona Sec State and Treasurer

The grassroots organization America Pack put on its last Republican primary debate Friday night, featuring the candidates for Arizona Secretary of State followed by the candidates for Arizona State Treasurer. During the first debate, Secretary of State candidate and current State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R-Scottsdale) took an aggressive stance toward her opponents, and her fellow Republicans responded in kind.

During the second debate, State Representative Jeff Weninger (R-Chandler) went after the sitting treasurer, Kimberly Yee, who responded back just as feistily.

State Representative Mark Finchem (R-Oro Valley) and State Representative Shawnna Bolick (R-Phoenix) are the other two candidates running for Secretary of State. Finchem, who is endorsed by Donald Trump, sponsored a bill to reject the results of the 2020 election in three counties in Arizona, HCR 2033, and led efforts to conduct the independent Maricopa County ballot audit of that election. Bolick has also led on election integrity issues, recently arranging a forum for True the Vote to speak to the Arizona Legislature about their investigation that resulted in the documentary 2,000 Mules, and has come up with a Roadmap to Restore Election Integrity.

Ugenti-Rita began attacking the other two candidates immediately, stating that she was the only one who pushed for tax cuts the night before dealing with the annual budget. Bolick, who arrived late due to her duties at the state capitol, told The Arizona Sun Times afterward that she sponsored Senate Bill (SB) 1116, to end the residential rental tax, which State Senator Paul Boyer (R-Glendale) killed in the Senate. Ugenti-Rita touted her record championing numerous election integrity bills as a qualification and was the only one of the three who got one passed this session, but she also voted against several.

Read the rest of the article at The Arizona Sun Times
Shawnna Bolick by Kevin Patterson is licensed under