Earlier this month, the Arizona gubernatorial election did not turn out the way many conservatives or Republicans were hoping.

Republican candidate Kari Lake ran a tough-as-nails campaign. She went across Arizona, hosting an Ask Me Anything Tour, speaking with voters, and thoughtfully answering questions.

Meanwhile, her Democratic opponent, Katie Hobbs, was considerably less observable on the campaign trail. Hobbs also withdrew from the tradition of debating her opponent in this election.

Yet, in spite of it all, Hobbs still ended up winning the election, albeit narrowly by about 20,000 votes. As difficult as this may be for Lake and the many people who were rooting for her to win, she should concede in this election.

The situation on the ground

Following the declaration of Hobbs as the winner and Arizona's governor-elect, Lake tweeted out the people of her state "know BS when they see it."

Lake then went on to announce she has a team of lawyers working on her behalf and helping her weigh her options.

The Arizona Republican also drew attention to issues with Maricopa County's election management, issues which are valid. On Election Day, many tabulation machines in this county stopped working, causing massive delays for voters.

There is certainly a case to be made that Arizona needs to fix its process of running elections. However, this does not mean the governor's race was rigged and stolen from Lake.

The Lake vs. Hobbs race was extremely close. It came down to the wire in a state with about 1.4 million registered Republicans, 1.2 million registered Democrats, and 1.4 million non-affiliated voters.

There is a very real possibility that despite the many positives of Lake's campaign, her decision to align herself so closely to Donald Trump cost her key votes. In Arizona, one cannot win an election without winning over a considerable number of non-affiliated voters.

Likewise, footage of Lake at a campaign event where she's telling pro-McCain Republicans to "get the hell out" likely also cost her critical votes.

The bottom line

The truth matters, even when it is painful and inconvenient. Upholding the security and integrity of elections is a must. Those who commit voter fraud or otherwise cheat in elections must face full accountability.

However, if Republicans go down the road of insisting that every election loss is because of a "rigged" or "stolen" race, this is dangerous. Every single political race is not going to go in the favor of the GOP. This is especially true in swing states like Arizona.

Republicans secured some great wins during this election cycle. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis handily beat his Democratic rival by almost 20 points. Republicans across the nation also took back the House of Representatives.

Accepting the wins and the losses is part of what happens when one gets involved in politics. At this point, there is no concrete evidence to show that Lake's election loss is due to theft, rigging, or cheating.

She should concede with grace and remain open to the possibilities ahead of her.