Ducey congratulates Hobbs on Ariz. gov. victory; Lake refuses to concede

Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has congratulated Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs on winning Arizona's gubernatorial election against Kari Lake, a Donald Trump supporter who has refused to concede.

"Today I congratulated Governor-elect Katie Hobbs on her victory in a hard-fought race and offered my full cooperation as she prepares to assume the leadership of the State of Arizona," Ducey said in a statement on Wednesday.

"My administration will work to make this transition as smooth and seamless as possible. Our duty is to ensure that Arizona's 24th Governor and her team can hit the ground running and continue our state's incredible momentum."

Hobbs, currently secretary of state, was declared the winner of the race last week but Lake, a former television anchor, has refused to concede the election despite trailing by about 17,000 votes.

"We cannot allow an election like this to stand. What they did on Election Day to punish election day voters is outrageous," Lake said in a video posted to Twitter on Wednesday.

Lake has alleged that voters in the state were disenfranchised because of Election Day printer problems in Maricopa County.

"All of us have waited patiently for the democratic process to play out. The people of Arizona have spoken, their votes have been counted and we respect their decision," Ducey said in his statement.

"No matter who we voted for, all of us have a stake in Arizona's success. Our future is bright and boundless. Let us never forget that as we begin this next chapter in our state's history."