“In Arizona, the Republican-controlled state Senate has been conducting a farcical audit of the election results in the state’s largest county that’s been criticized by local GOP officials and much of the party’s statewide leadership. The partisan effort will cost taxpayers millions of dollars… Republican leaders haven’t seemed to absorb any lessons from Democrats’ statewide victories in 2018 and 2020. Despite clear evidence that Biden and [Mark] Kelly made major inroads with moderate suburbanites in last year’s election, the party is imposing even more reckless litmus tests for their nominees. Gov. Doug Ducey passed on the race after receiving sharp criticism from Trump for certifying the state’s election results for Biden. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, one of the early front-runners, has drawn Trump’s wrath for not doing enough to champion his baseless allegations of voter fraud. ‘We’re asking [Republicans] to vote for us in an election system they don’t believe in anymore,’ lamented one Arizona-based GOP strategist.”

“While Brnovich initially distanced himself from the sham audit taking place, he’s since attacked the Justice Department for raising the specter of federal oversight of the state’s elections. While Republicans would prefer to focus on other issues, Trump’s engagement has all but guaranteed ‘voter fraud’ will be an issue in next year’s primary; one Republican strategist said that the Phoenix arena where the audit is taking place has become something like a religious shrine to hardcore Trump supporters. Brnovich is expected to face competition from venture capitalist Blake Masters, an associate of Trump-backing entrepreneur Peter Thiel; solar-energy executive Jim Lamon; and former state Adjutant General Mick McGuire. Meanwhile, amid the GOP bickering, Kelly raised an impressive $6 million in the most recent fundraising quarter” – National Review.