Cheney launches TV ad targeting Arizona election deniers Kari Lake, Mark Finchem
Outgoing GOP Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, through her newly-launched political action committee, on Friday launched a $500,000 ad campaign targeting Arizona GOP candidates Kari Lake and Mark Finchem.
The ad opens with a video of Cheney’s remarks at Arizona State University from earlier October when she spoke to a group gathered by the McCain Institute, noting that if she were an Arizona resident, she’d rather cast her vote for a Democrat than for the Arizona governor and secretary of state candidates who have repeatedly circulated conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential race.
"You have a candidate for governor, Kari Lake, you have a candidate for secretary of state, Mark Finchem, both of whom have said that they will only honor the results of an election if they agree with it,” Cheney said in the ad.
"And if you care about the survival of our Republic, we cannot give people power who will not honor elections. We must have elected officials who honor that responsibility."
The 30-second ad will air on broadcast, online, and streaming platforms across Arizona.
Shortly after her primary loss, Cheney, converted her House campaign committee to a political action committee named "The Great Task" -- an organization that Cheney's spokesperson said will seek to "mobilize a unified effort to oppose any Donald Trump campaign for president."
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Cheney’s remarks against Lake at the McCain Institute wasn’t the first time she’s taken jabs at Lake.
The Wyoming congresswoman, who lost her primary last month to a challenger endorsed by former President Donald Trump and is the top Republican on the Jan. 6 committee, said at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin earlier that she would seek to prevent Lake and Pennsylvania Republican Doug Mastriano from being elected to their states' governors' mansions.
Lake has called Cheney's criticism of her "the biggest, best gift I've ever received."
"She couldn't even win her own primary," Lake said at a campaign event in October. "I mean, the people of Wyoming can't stand her. I'm pretty much sure that the people of Arizona don't like Liz Cheney …The new Republican Party is the party of 'We the People.'"
Libby Cathey is one of seven ABC News campaign reporters embedded in battleground states across the country. Watch all the twists and turns of covering the midterm elections every Sunday on Hulu's "Power Trip" with ABC's George Stephanopoulos.
