Lake and Hobbs Sprint for the Finish Line in Arizona

Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake attends her Karizona Election Eve Concert and Rally, on Nov. 7. Katie Spence/The Epoch Times

PHOENIX, Ariz.—With less than 24 hours to go until the polls close on Nov. 8, Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs were sprinting for the finish line.

On Nov. 7, Lake held several in-person get-out-the-vote events, culminating in a blowout Karizona Election Eve Concert and Rally. The band, The Frontmen, provided entertainment, and food was available for purchase from food trucks. Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, opened for Lake, with hundreds of supporters in attendance.

Katie Hobbs speaks at a campaign rally in Tucson, Ariz., on Nov. 6. Katie Spence/The Epoch Times

Hobbs chose to have her last in-person event on Nov. 6 and, unlike Lake, reserved Nov. 7 for door-knocking and phone calls encouraging voters to hit the polls. The Hobbs campaign didn’t return a request for comment on the details.

The different last-ditch approaches by each campaign highlight just how far apart both candidates are in personality and political stances. Hobbs stuck to one venue a day on Nov. 4, 5, and 6 and only provided location details once a person registered to attend. The rallies tended to be smaller, mellow, and more intimate.

On the other hand, Lake blew the doors open and welcomed all by posting the details of her multiple events on the Republican Party of Arizona website and her personal campaign website. She campaigned with Arizona Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters, Arizona Secretary of State candidate Mark Finchem, and Arizona Attorney General candidate Abe Hamadeh. Her rallies were large, boisterous, welcoming, and had a “party” vibe with attendees breaking into dance at some of the events.

Karizona Election Eve Concert and Rally, on Nov. 7. Katie Spence/The Epoch Times

For the last leg of her campaign, Hobbs recruited local Tucson Mayor Regina Romero to join her. At one point, Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly came out, too. The events were low-key, much like Hobbs herself. At her Nov. 6 rally, Hobbs’ speaking style was measured and quiet, and she read from her notebook and stood behind a podium instead of pacing.

Hobbs, however, didn’t hold back from criticizing her opponent, and accused Lake of political theater and supporting conspiracy theories. She said Lake threatened democracy; if she won, democracy would essentially die.

At her campaign rallies, Lake brought in heavy hitters and surprised rally attendees with the likes of Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.). Her events enjoyed an upbeat, media-savvy vibe. For her part, Lake was engaging, albeit controversial, pacing the floor and relying on her quick wit and memory for her speeches.

During her rallies, Lake blasted Hobbs as a coward for refusing to debate her, passionately lamented rising crime, inflation, and gender confusion in schools, and said Hobbs would only add to those issues. She further took Hobbs to task over her rejection of finishing President Trump’s wall.

A voter places a ballot in a drop box outside of the Maricopa County Elections Department in Phoenix, Arizona, on Aug. 2, 2022. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

It was on the election topic that Lake’s speech drew the most controversy. Since throwing her hat into the political arena, Lake hasn’t been shy about questioning election integrity, and specifically, the results of the 2020 election. While Lake’s supporters might agree, her questions have resulted in a fair amount of criticism, even from within the Republican party. Moreover, that claim is the basis for Hobbs and the Democrats’ statement that if Lake wins, democracy is at risk.

Maricopa County Elections Command Center even held press briefings on “False Election Narratives.” While not directly naming Lake, they heavily alluded to would-be politicians jeopardizing the foundations of democracy with talk about compromised elections. At a Nov. 7 briefing, the Commission went so far as to excoriate those who question the process by which Maricopa handles its count and said unequivocally that Arizona’s elections are secure, legitimate, and run by the book.

For her part, Lake has brushed aside the attacks and stuck to her guns. Lake has placed heavy significance on securing the border during her campaign. She said she would declare an invasion of the Southern border on her first day in office.

Securing the border, according to Lake, will mean going up against the drug cartels who are making a killing, both figuratively and literally, by flooding the streets with fentanyl. Lake has told her rally attendees that she’s not afraid to stand up to the cartels, and she’s ready for whatever they throw her way.

Supporters of wall construction along the southern border of the U.S. form a “human wall” at the border between Sunland Park, New Mexico, United States, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, on Feb. 9, 2019. Herika Martinez/AFP/Getty Images

Going into election day, FiveThirtyEight reports that Lake is favored to win. Emerson College has Lake up four percent, while Beacon Research/Shaw & Company Research have Lake up one percent. Only one poll by Marist College has Hobbs beating Lake by one percent.

FiveThirtyEight reports Lake has a 68-in-100 chance of winning.