With Jan. 6 in the rearview mirror, election denialism has taken front stage in secretary of state races across the nation.
201 election deniers are running for office this year, seven of whom are running for secretary of state. (FiveThirtyEight)
The stakes are high for 2024: 3 of the 7 election deniers running for secretary of state are running in swing states. (AP)
Who is Finchem? Finchem is a legislator in the Arizona House. He is an active member of the militia group Oath Keepers.
In 2021, Finchem made headlines for being one of the organizers of the Jan. 6 rally at the U.S. Capitol. (AZ Central)
Finchem also led the "Stop the Steal" movement, pushing VP Pence to overturn the results of the 2020 election. (AZC)
As a legislator, Finchem has backed bills that would allow the legislature to pick U.S. senators and overturn elections.
What has Finchem proposed as a candidate? Finchem has called to ban mail-in voting for able-bodied voters. (AZC)
According to the Clean Elections Commission, in 2020, 89% of ballots in Arizona were cast by mail or drop box.
Fontes opposes restrictions on voting, including voter ID requirements backed by Finchem and state Republicans.
Could Finchem win? According to a mid-Sept. OH Predictive Insights poll, Finchem is leading Fontes 40%-35%.