Tom Petty's estate slams Kari Lake, who lost the Arizona governor race, for using his song 'I Won't Back Down' in her campaign: 'This is illegal'

Kari Lake, the Republican candidate for Arizona governor in the 2022 midterms. AP Photo/Matt York

• Tom Petty's estate criticized Kari Lake's campaign for using his song "I Won't Back Down."
• "This is illegal," the estate tweeted, adding that Lake's campaign used the song without permission.
• Lake, a Trump-endorsed candidate for Arizona's governorship, lost to Katie Hobbs.

Tom Petty's estate said this week it was shocked that Kari Lake, the Trump-backed Republican who lost the Arizona governor race, used his song "I Won't Back Down" in her campaign.

On Thursday, Petty's estate tweeted that the 1989 hit song was "stolen and used without permission or a license to promote Kari Lake's failed campaign."

"This is illegal. We are exploring all of our legal options to stop this unauthorized use and to prohibit future misappropriations of Tom's beloved anthem," the tweet said. "Thank you to all of the fans who brought this to our attention and who help us protect his legacy every day."

—Tom Petty (@tompetty) November 18, 2022

The Arizona Republic reported that Lake's campaign used the song in a YouTube montage of her on the campaign trial that has since been taken down. According to the outlet, the video highlighted Lake refusing to accept the election results and hinted at her claims that the midterms were rigged against her.

Lake posted a video to Twitter on Thursday titled "Arizona, we are still in the fight." In the video, Lake made unsubstantiated claims about voter disenfranchisement and implied possible legal action, saying "I'm doing everything in my power to right these wrongs."

Media outlets on Monday called the the Arizona gubernatorial race for Lake's Democratic challenger, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who beat the pro-Trump Republican by a slim margin.

This wasn't the first time Petty's estate has called out a politician for using the artist's music. In 2020, Petty's family issued a cease-and-desist notice to former President Donald Trump's campaign after "I Won't Back Down" was played at a rally. The Trump campaign garnered numerous complaints from artists who requested he stop using their songs in his campaigns, including Rihanna, Steven Tyler, and Pharrell Williams.

Representatives for Petty and Lake did not response to Insider's requests for comment.