Kari Lake won her Republican primary in Arizona on Tuesday and will now face Democratic challenger Rep. Ruben Gallego in what is expected to be one of the most closely-watched and hard-fought U.S. Senate races in the 2024 general election.
Kari Lake wins Arizona GOP primary, securing her position as the Republican candidate. Lake, a former television news anchor, has been one of Donald Trump’s most loyal defenders with a national reputation for election denialism and attacking the media as “fake news.” The 54-year-old Republican beat out two other primary contenders, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and Elizabeth Jean Reye, in a race where she was long viewed as the frontrunner.
Gallego currently represents a portion of Phoenix and did not have a Democratic primary challenger in his bid to succeed freshman Sen. Krysten Sinema, an independent who opted for retirement this November. With Kari Lake wins Arizona GOP primary, the race is set for a highly competitive showdown in November.
Kari Lake wins Arizona GOP primary and had long been considered the presumptive Republican Senate nominee even before she officially put her hat in the ring. She received endorsements from most of the D.C. Republican establishment, as well as Trump, during a primary campaign where she was mentioned as a possible Trump vice-presidential pick.
Lamb was also a Trump supporter but shied away from seeking big-name endorsements during the primary election. Despite the result where Kari Lake wins Arizona GOP primary, Lamb’s campaign held a different view on endorsements. “Endorsements don’t mean much in modern-day elections and we aren’t pursuing them. That’s because voters don’t want to be told how to vote by political power brokers,” Lamb’s campaign stated in March.
He raised many of the same issues as Lake but with a measure of elective success, a lack of money compared to his main primary opponent, and less hostility to the media covering a race that could help determine control of the U.S. Senate next year. The fact that Kari Lake wins Arizona GOP primary indicates the level of support she has garnered within her party.
The Arizona Senate race, with Kari Lake wins Arizona GOP primary, is one of a handful of competitive contests in the November general election that could determine which party controls the upper chamber in the 119th Congress.
Beyond Arizona, Democrats are fighting to hold onto seats in Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The Cook Political Report listed Michigan, Montana, Nevada, and Ohio – seats currently held by Democratic lawmakers – as “toss-ups.” Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are currently listed as “leans Democratic.” The outcome where Kari Lake wins Arizona GOP primary will surely impact the overall strategy for both parties in the upcoming elections.
