Well, it’s official…the day is finally here! Former Arizona gubernatorial candidate and ardent ally of former President Donald Trump, Kari Lake, has filed her paperwork to run in the US Senate race for next year.
Her announcement comes as a surge of support for the ex-commander in chief is seen across the state, which could give her an edge against incumbent Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ). Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is also vying for his party’s nomination.
????????BREAKING: Arizona Gubernatorial Candidate Kari Lake Has Officially Filed FEC Paperwork to Run for US Senate in Arizona. pic.twitter.com/oE7gLKIuJU
— nick moseder (@TheNickyMo) October 4, 2023
After losing her governor bid in 2022, Lake set out on a mission to back up candidates who mirrored Trump’s beliefs and defend his claims of wrongful vote counting that he alleged cost him the 2020 presidential election against Joe Biden. She has been vocal with her thoughts about those running alongside President Trump by describing them as children fighting at Thanksgiving during one interview.
Moreover, Lake has encouraged members of the Republican Party to rally behind their former leader, expressing confidence that he will be nominated and beat Biden come November 2024: “President Trump is going to be the nominee…He’s going to go on and beat Joe Biden, and we’re going to turn things around”.
Recent polls show that Trump holds almost equal footing with Biden in Arizona – a state where results were barely distinguishable between them three years ago – with only two percent favoring Biden over his predecessor according to data collected.
This may prove beneficial for Kari Lake who currently stands at 35% approval rating among local voters compared to 51% disapproval rating however, this status could improve if she can persuade citizens that she would be a reliable advocate for President Trump’s agenda within Congress’ divided chambers.
Before being defeated by Katie Hobbs in last year’s election, Lake led polls by two percent but still failed after numerous court challenges seeking recounts were denied or heard.
