Kari Lake triumphed over Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in Arizona's Republican Senate primary on Tuesday night. The former Phoenix news anchor-turned-Republican firebrand managed to secure her victory despite underlying concerns among mainstream Republicans about her history of endorsing election conspiracy theories, which many believe make her unelectable in the center-right state.
The Context of Lake's Victory
In recent election cycles, Arizona Democrats have strategically recruited strong candidates and leveraged GOP infighting. More than once, Republican candidates who are seen as being too far to the right have unintentionally helped Democrats. This trend has significantly influenced the state's political landscape, leading to Democrats controlling most statewide offices.
The Democratic Landscape
However, this year's Democratic nominee, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D), is an unabashed progressive. Gallego was initially encouraged to run against Democrat-turned-independent Kyrsten Sinema before she decided to drop out of the race.
As The New York Times reports:
Ms. Lake celebrated her victory in front of supporters at a Phoenix hotel, telling them she would be former President Donald J. Trump's “backup” in Washington after defeating Mr. Gallego. She brought out a thick binder, saying it was a tally of Mr. Gallego's “destructive voting record that is destroying Arizona.”
Though she made overtures to building a broader coalition — calling for “disaffected Democrats” and moderate Republicans to join her — she framed the election in stark terms.
“This is a battle between good and evil,” she said. “This is a battle between the people who want to destroy this country and the people who want to save America.”
With 95% of the expected votes counted, Lake is leading with 55.4% compared to Lamb's 39.2%.
Ms. Lake and Mr. Gallego have already spent months attacking each other. The race has been essentially set — Mr. Lamb's spoiler potential was the only question mark — since March, when Ms. Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in 2022 to become an independent, declared that she would not seek re-election.
A High-Stakes General Election
Lake's primary victory sets the stage for a highly competitive and closely watched general election. Most political analysts currently consider Gallego to be a slight favorite due to Lake's controversial reputation. However, the race remains open, with both candidates gearing up for a tough battle.
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