PHOENIX β€” About a third of Republican state lawmakers are calling on newly reelected Arizona GOP Chair Kelli Ward to either agree to a recount of that vote or back off of her challenges to the presidential race.

In an email Wednesday to Ward, the 14 state representatives and four senators said they have been involved in a two-month effort to bring β€œtransparency and accountability in our election process.”

β€œThis included ballot security and integrity, comprehensive audits, and paper trails that allow the average voter to know that their vote counted and that the election results as presented were accurate,” they wrote. That followed the certified results that showed Joe Biden outpolled Donald Trump in Arizona by 10,457 votes.

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At the same time, they noted, Ward won a new term as party chair by defeating Sergio Arellano, a Southern Arizona businessman and unsuccessful 2018 congressional candidate, by 42 votes.

She has refused his request for a recount, saying there was no procedure, process or rule that allows for that.

β€œAnd you certainly don’t allow a challenger who lost an election to demand something that they don’t have the right to, and we don’t have the responsibility for providing,” Ward said last month on KFYI.

The GOP lawmakers said that’s subverting what they’re trying to do.

β€œNow, our collective message is being undermined by your insistence that none of these standards should apply to your election as AZ GOP Chairman,” they wrote. β€œThis inconsistency is simply not acceptable.”

The lawmakers acknowledged that election of a party chief β€œpales in comparison” with a presidential election. β€œBut the principles that surround every election, no matter how big or small, must remain the same,” they wrote.

They are asking Ward to either allow an immediate audit of her Jan. 23 election or to remove herself from efforts to audit the Nov. 3 presidential election, β€œas you would be an unwelcome distraction and foil for the media to use to discredit our efforts to protect our state’s voters.”

Ward did not return a message seeking comment.

Signers said their request is merited.

β€œI support transparency, free and fair elections in every corner of representation,” Rep. Mark Finchem of Oro Valley said . Finchem has been at the forefront of arguments that the Arizona presidential results were tainted and incorrect.

Sen. T.J. Shope of Coolidge said it’s a matter of β€œtrying to be consistent.” And he said that’s not what’s happening here.

β€œI come at it as a guy that doesn’t believe the β€˜stop the steal’ stuff,” he said, referring to people who are convinced that Trump won Arizona. β€œAnd here we have somebody who is essentially leading the charge, and was former President Trump’s lead surrogate essentially in Arizona, saying these things. And when her election comes up under question, auditing or anything like that is not even on the table.”

Rep. Shawnna Bolick of Phoenix said after the January GOP meeting was over it was brought to her attention that there were missed ballots from one county between the first and second rounds of voting.

β€œAn audit of the chairman’s election would bring transparency to the process,” she said.

Peoria Rep. Ben Toma agreed.

β€œWe want transparency and an audit of the November election to ensure voter confidence and the same standard should apply to the GOP meeting,” he said.

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