II. Analysis
Given the import of the overarching subject—a United States Presidential Election—to the citizens of Arizona, and to the named Plaintiffs, the Court is compelled to make clear why it finds it inappropriate to reach the merits of Plaintiffs’ Complaint and why it must grant the Motions to Dismiss this matter in its entirety. The Court will endeavor to lay bare the independent reasons for its conclusions, including those related to Article III standing, abstention, laches, mootness, and the federal pleading standards, which govern its review.
- A. Article III Standing
“To ensure that the Federal Judiciary respects the proper—and properly limited—role of the courts in a democratic society, a plaintiff may not invoke federal-court jurisdiction unless he can show a personal stake in the outcome of the controversy.” Gill v. Whitford, 138 S. Ct. 1916, 1929 (2018) (internal citations omitted). Article III provides that federal courts may only exercise judicial power in the context of “cases” and “controversies.” U.S. Const. art. III, § 2, cl. 1; Lujan v. Defs. of Wildlife, 504 U.S. 555, 559 (1992). For there to be a case or controversy, the plaintiff must have standing to sue. Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, 136 S. Ct. 1540, 1547 (2016) (“Spokeo II”). Whether a plaintiff has standing presents a “threshold question in every federal case [because it determines] the power of the court to entertain the suit.” Warth v. Seldin, 422 U.S. 490, 498 (1975). “No principle is more fundamental to the judiciary’s proper role in our system of government than the constitutional limitation of federal-court jurisdiction to actual cases or controversies.” DaimlerChrysler Corp. v. Cuno, 547 U.S. 332, 341 (2006). A suit brought by a plaintiff without Article III standing is not a “case or controversy,” and an Article III federal court therefore lacks subject matter jurisdiction. Steel Co. v. Citizens for a Better Environment, 523 U.S. 83, 101 (1998).
“[A] plaintiff seeking relief in federal court must first demonstrate… a personal stake in the outcome,” Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186, 204 (1962), distinct from a “generally available grievance about government,” Lance v. Coffman, 549 U.S. 437, 439 (2007) (per
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