SAFFORD — Graham County Sheriff PJ Allred joined with eight other Arizona sheriffs in denouncing U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake’s comments about her Republican primary opponent.
In May, during an online forum, Lake called Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb “a total coward” for not agreeing with her there was election fraud in 2020 and 2022.
“Sheriffs have the ability to fight, and the Sheriff of Pinal County cowered. He’s a total coward when it comes to election integrity,” Lake said during the forum hosted by the Association of Mature American Citizens.
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
Allred, along with the sheriffs of Cochise, Gila, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Yavapai and Yuma counties; and candidates for running for the office of Sheriff in Pinal and Maricopa counties; sent Lake a letter denouncing her comments.
“Kari Lake’s recent comment calling Sheriff Mark Lamb a ‘coward’ is both unfounded and disrespectful. We want to make it clear: neither Sheriff Mark Lamb nor any law enforcement officer who wears a badge and uniform, putting their life on the line every day to protect and serve our communities, is a coward. Arizona voters expect better from a political candidate, especially when they are running for the U.S. Senate,” the letter read.
The letter was delivered to Lake during her appearance at a Donald Trump town hall in Phoenix on Thursday.
Lake has unsuccessfully tried to challenge the 2022 election results multiple times, with the U.S. Supreme Court in April declining to hear her case over the state’s use of electronic tabulation machines. She also filed a default motion in March, declining to defend her statements in a defamation case brought against her by Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer.
