But a problem arose before Hobbs even took the stage: Lake was sitting in the front row, in the direct line of sight of where her opponent would sit. Anyone who thinks she was there to follow all the rules doesn’t know Kari Lake.”The scene was emblematic of the contrasting styles of Lake and Hobbs: Lake is a former local TV anchor, while Hobbs is the elected secretary of state in Arizona, one of the nation’s most competitive swing states. Lake has repeatedly called Hobbs a “coward” for her refusal to share the debate stage and points out that Hobbs also refused to debate Democratic primary rivals. “I can understand why, perhaps, Hobbs is hesitant to appear on stage with Lake. The Lake campaign disputes the suggestion that the disruption was staged.

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