“She’s Fearless”: Kari Lake Wins GOP Senate Primary in Arizona
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
On Tuesday night, Kari Lake, a staunch ally of Donald Trump, was declared the winner in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate in Arizona. Lake emerged victorious over her far-right opponent, Mark Lamb, according to The Associated Press. She will now face Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego in the general election for the seat vacated by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
Donald Trump, who had previously given tepid endorsements to Republican congressional candidates Abraham Hamadeh and Blake Masters, was unequivocal in his support for Lake. He endorsed her early in the race against Pinal County Sheriff Lamb, who campaigned as an even more extreme candidate.
The day before the election, Trump reiterated his endorsement, stating, “She’s fearless when it comes to being a champion for the common-sense, America-first policies. Kari will vote to seal the border. We’re going to seal that border. It will stop them immediately, and that will stop, in turn, the invasion, the largest invasion in the history of probably any country. There’s never been anything like it.”
In the latest poll numbers from Noble Predictive Insight (NPI), conducted on July 22-23, Lake had a net favorability of +12, compared to Lamb’s 38 percent favorability. Lake, known for her unwavering denial of the 2020 election results, previously failed in her 2022 gubernatorial bid and protested the outcome of that race as well. Throughout the primary, Lamb argued that Lake’s inability to win a general election made him the more viable candidate.
Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego will be the Democratic contender in the general election, aiming to replace the outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. An Emerson College poll, taken around the same time as the GOP primary poll, showed Gallego leading Lake by four points (46 percent to 42 percent).
“Lake looks promising in overcoming the first challenge in the Senate race—winning the primary—but she’ll have to shape her general election strategy to capture the key voter blocs she’s currently struggling with to compete with the Democratic candidate,” NPI founder and CEO Mike Noble said in a written statement.
As the general election approaches, Lake will need to pivot from her primary strategy to appeal to a broader electorate. With the backing of Trump and a solid primary win, she enters the next phase of the campaign with momentum but faces a competitive race against Gallego.
