“I don’t want to run again.”
Former Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake says she’s done with pursuing public office.
“We know the movement that we have in Arizona, and I will never take that for granted. But there is a corrupt machine here that is hellbent on making sure I never hold office. So, I won’t put my family (and myself) through the torture of running again,” Lake wrote Saturday in a post on X.
Rep Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who had served in the House for nearly a decade representing a Phoenix-based seat, defeated Lake in November, garnering 50.1% of the vote compared to Lake’s 47.7%.
The outcome marked her second straight statewide electoral loss.
The Arizona Republic provides more insight into Lake’s decision to step back from politics, at least for now:
Lake was asked about her political future while onstage at AmericaFest, the annual conference in Phoenix organized by the conservative youth group Turning Point USA.
“I am gonna go help President Trump in Washington, D.C. That’s what I’m gonna do,” said Lake, who Trump recently selected to lead Voice of America, a government-funded international news outlet, during his second term.
AmericaFest, a four-day celebration of Trump and his MAGA movement staged this month in downtown Phoenix, foreshadowed Trump’s return to the White House before his second inauguration on Jan. 20. Trump was the headliner with remarks on Sunday but speakers included Lake and other Republican politicians from Arizona.
Lake became nationally known for fiercely defending baseless claims about U.S. elections, including the discredited idea that her own 2022 election loss was “rigged.” Onstage she pointed to the issue as one reason why she was bowing out of politics for now.
“We’re not where we need to be on elections. And that’s one of the reasons I don’t want to run again, to be honest. Why put yourself through that torture again?”
In her Saturday post, Lake pledged to support Trump and help revamp the media outlet. Trump has said his vision is for Lake to “ensure that the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the World FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media.”
“I will go to Washington, D.C., return @VOANews to its glory days, and help President Trump Make America Great Again,” Lake wrote.
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Baseless claims? You mean, how the most Republican part of the state “ran out of ink” on election day?? Please. Not baseless. Pat.
If you’re going to copy/paste a story, how about not doing it from a Deep State Swamp Rag like the Arizona Republic? “baseless claims about U.S. elections” my ass….
This is Arizona’s loss in both elections. First the governors election where the person in charge of elections was running for Governor should have recused herself due to obvious conflict. Kind of like the pitcher of a baseball team calling his own balls and strikes. Plus there were factual information of fraud and cheating but the beneficiary was the one who was supposed to to be in charge of fair and honest elections who fixed the election for herself.
The senate election was a case of the leftist democrats lying and obfuscating the truth. Gallegos was a dis a lying fraud. He will represent the democrat party and do what he is told to do by the Washington party bosses not what is best for Arizona.
But for the Trump administration and the American people we will benefit from Kari Lake telling the American people the TRUTH in her new position as part of Make America Great Again ajenda!
Is the headline intentionally, misleading, or just misleading. Withdrawing from running for office IS NOT exiting the political arena. As proof, I submit the name Elon Musk.
“Baseless claims.” Really, because the truth has come out about the cheating during elections. Time to dump American Liberty News.
It is odd that a state that has been republican literally closed to anyone running as a democrat for generations has democrats suddenly winning every election using the keep finding and counting votes until the democrat wins technique. Just saying it is odd.