Stephen Richer's words may come back to haunt him as Kari Lake-Ruben Gallego senate battle rumbles on

Richer’s comments emerged during a deposition, part of a defamation lawsuit he filed against Lake.

PUBLISHED NOV 9, 2024

Richer, who has served as County Recorder since 2020, pursued legal action against Lake.

Phoenix, Arizona: As Arizona’s ongoing Senate race betwen Republican Kari Lake and Democrat Ruben Gallego drags on into the week, it faces heightened scrutiny following revelations about Stephen Richer, the Maricopa County Recorder overseeing elections in the state’s largest county.

According to the Daily Mail, court documents reveal that Richer, a Republican, expressed interest last year in running for the US Senate "to make life hell" for Kari Lake who is aligned with president-elect Donald Trump’s 'Make America Great Again' movement.

Arizona Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake greets supporters during a campaign event for Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump, at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall on September 12, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Richer’s comments emerged during a deposition on June 21, part of a defamation lawsuit he filed against Lake. In the deposition, he acknowledges describing himself as 'anti-MAGA', fueling questions about potential bias as he oversees the ballot count in a tight race where Lake trails her Democratic opponent by a slim margin.

Lake, who gained national attention following her contested 2022 gubernatorial loss and vocal support for Trump’s election fraud claims, has faced a close and unexpectedly competitive Senate race. With only about 77% of ballots counted (at the time of this article being published), Lake’s narrow deficit has raised the possibility of further legal battles should the results not go in her favor.

Stephen Richer, Maricopa Country Recorder, speaks at a press conference on the midterm elections on November 07, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

In the deposition, Richer confirmed prior communication with a friend, listing various political aspirations, including a potential Senate run to promote "real conservatism" and disrupt Lake’s campaign. When questioned on why he wished to "make life hell" for Lake, he responded vaguely, suggesting a view that Lake was not a “real conservative".

Richer, who has served as County Recorder since 2020, pursued legal action against Lake, claiming that her allegations of election misconduct led to threats against him and his family, damaging his reputation and personal relationships.

Lake has described the defamation lawsuit as a “frivolous” attempt by establishment figures to keep her off the campaign trail.

In a new motion, Lake’s husband, Jeff Halperin, is set to request that the court dismiss the defamation case. Richer lost his primary bid this year to GOP challenger Justin Heap.