Member of the Arizona Senate from the 5th district
In office January 14, 2013 – December 15, 2015
Preceded by
Ron Gould
Succeeded by
Sue Donahue
Personal details
Born
Kelli Kaznoski
(1969-01-25) January 25, 1969 (age 55) Fairmont, West Virginia, U.S.
Political party
Republican
Children
2
Education
Duke University (BS) West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) A.T. Still University, Arizona (MPH)
Website
Official website
Kelli Ward[1] (néeKaznoski; born January 25, 1969) is an American politician who served as the chair of the Arizona Republican Party from 2019 to 2023. She previously served in the Arizona State Senate from 2013 to 2015.
She challenged incumbent Senator John McCain in the Republican primary for the United States Senate in 2016. Resigning from the state senate to focus on the race, Ward was defeated 51% to 39%. She ran in the 2018 Republican primary election for the U.S. Senate, initially against Jeff Flake,[2][3] and then against Martha McSally, after Flake's decision not to seek re-election. Ward was defeated by McSally in the Republican primary.
She became chair of the Arizona Republican Party in 2019. After the 2020 United States presidential election, in which incumbent President Donald Trump lost in 25 states, including Arizona, she filed lawsuits seeking to nullify the state's election results. When she did this, she provided no evidence of wrongdoing in the election and by December 9, federal and state judges had dismissed all of her challenges against President-elect Joe Biden's victory in Arizona.[4]
Ward was indicted by a grand jury in April 2024 as an alleged fake elector that falsely certified Donald Trump as the winner of the presidential election in Arizona.[5][6]
^"Kelli Ward's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
^Min Kim, Seung (October 27, 2016). "Kelli Ward aims to oust Flake in 2018". Politico. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
^Bowman, Bridget (October 27, 2016). "Flake Gets 2018 Primary Challenge". Roll Call. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
^Polletta, Maria (December 9, 2020). "Last election challenge pending in Arizona courts thrown out by federal judge in blistering ruling". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
^Barchenger, Stacey (April 24, 2024). "Grand jury indicts fake electors who falsely certified Donald Trump as 2020 winner in Arizona". Arizona Republic.
^Wingett Sanchez, Yvonne (April 24, 2024). "Meadows, Giuliani and other Trump allies charged in Arizona 2020 election probe". The Washington Post.
KelliWard (née Kaznoski; born January 25, 1969) is an American politician who served as the chair of the Arizona Republican Party from 2019 to 2023. She...
State of Arizona v. KelliWard, et al. is a state criminal prosecution concerning the Trump fake electors plot in Arizona. The eighteen defendants, including...
Trump, and the threat of a primary challenge from former state senator KelliWard, who promised to run on a more pro-Trump platform. Additionally, he had...
ways to challenge the election results. Wilenchik wrote of a strategy by KelliWard, the Arizona Republican Party chair, "to keep it under wraps until Congress...
opposition from the Tea Party, but he ultimately defeated challenger KelliWard in the August 30 primary. McCain won with 53.7% of the vote compared to...
the audit.[better source needed] Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman KelliWard released multiple videos about the audit, in which she criticized the...
Republican Party In office January 28, 2023 – January 24, 2024 Preceded by KelliWard Succeeded by Jill Norgaard (acting) Chief Financial Officer of NASA In...
John McCain Martha McSally, former U.S. Senator from Arizona (2019–2020) KelliWard, chair of the Arizona Republican Party, former state senator, and candidate...
Republican primary, where her opponents included former state senator KelliWard and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. McSally, a strong fundraiser...
anthem before football games. In August 2018, at a political rally for KelliWard, Lahren warned against voters electing 'RINOs' (Republicans in name only)...
purported Trump was the rightful winner, including former state party chair KelliWard, state Sens. Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, and Tyler Bowyer, a GOP national...
Lake cited Trump, Ronald Reagan, and Arizona Republican Party chair KelliWard, all former Democrats, as precedent for her party-switching. Lake filed...
KelliWard and her husband, Michael Ward. Both Wards were "alternate electors" who signed the false Arizona certificate of ascertainment. KelliWard was...
buses" tweet". Newsweek. Retrieved January 12, 2021. Hansen, Ronald J. "KelliWard, Charlie Kirk had little to say to Jan. 6 investigators about 2020 election...
representative for Arizona's 6th congressional district (endorsed Salmon) KelliWard, chair of the Arizona Republican Party, former state senator and candidate...
legislative district as a member of the Republican Party. Donahue replaced KelliWard who resigned to run for the United States Senate. Donahue did not run...
of Regents (2017–2021) and candidate for governor of Arizona in 2022 KelliWard, former state senator from the 5th district (2013–2015), former chair...
days out of office, he also supported Arizona state party chairwoman KelliWard, who likewise called for the creation of a "MAGA Party". In late January...
counting continued, Trump and Arizona Republican Party chair KelliWard sought to intervene, with Ward sending a text message to a Republican election official...
Sue Donahue was sworn in January 7, 2016 to replace Republican Senator KelliWard who resigned on December 15, 2015. Democrat Carlyle Begay was sworn in...
(2021–2023) and member of the Arizona House of Representatives (2013–2021) KelliWard, Former chair of the Arizona Republican Party, former state senator and...
businessman David Pizer, talk radio host Clair Van Steenwyk, and State Senator KelliWard. David Pizer later dropped out of the race. Representatives Matt Salmon...
Judy M. Burges Rep Lynne Pancrazi Dem Gain 5th Sylvia Tenney Allen Rep KelliWard Rep Hold 6th Lori Klein Rep Chester Crandell Rep Hold 7th Nancy Barto...
Newsweek. Archived from the original on 2022-12-26. Retrieved 2024-04-08. "KelliWard touts endorsement from fake-news site". Politico. 2018-02-14. Archived...
(2021–present) Janae Shamp, state senator from the 29th district (2023–present) KelliWard, former state senator from the 5th district (2013–2015) and former chair...
mid-term elections. In 2019, Lines lost re-election to former state Senator KelliWard. TucsonSentinel.com. "Az political parties pick leadership: Dems reelect...
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