Arizona lawmaker who pushed election audit not seeking reelection

Arizona Senate President Karen Fann (R), the driving force behind the Arizona election audit, announced on Monday that she will not be seeking reelection when her current terms ends next January.

“It has been a privilege to advocate on behalf of Arizona citizens in my twelve years at the State Legislature and the honor of a lifetime to serve as Senate President,” Fann said in a statement.

“I look forward to a successful session in 2022 advancing policies that benefit all Arizonans, and then enjoying the life my husband and I have built for ourselves in retirement with our family,” she added. 

Fann served as an Arizona state representative from 2011 to 2016 and was elected to the state senate in 2017. She is the second woman to serve as head of the Arizona Senate.

Fann led the audit that ultimately reaffirmed President Biden’s victory in Arizona. In September, the results of the audit were released, finding that Biden has won by a wider margin than what the final certified results had shown.

The five-month audit that cost taxpayers and donors millions found that there was no “substantial differences between the hand count of the ballots provided and the official canvass results for [Maricopa County].”

Cyber Ninjas, the Florida-based company contracted to conduct the audit, had no prior experience in auditing elections and the process was plagued with criticism and concern that the process did not follow standard procedure.