Failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake appears to be singing a different tune as she eyes a Senate bid in Arizona, backing away from some controversial statements that acted as the backbone of her previous campaigns.
Throughout her run for governor in 2022, Lake relied heavily on former President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him due to widespread election fraud. However, during Lake’s speech announcing her highly anticipated Senate bid on Tuesday, the Trump-aligned candidate steered clear from mentioning it.
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“I am never going to walk away from the fight to restore honest elections,” Lake said, stopping short of name-dropping Trump or the 2020 contest. “I’m never going to stop until every voter feels confident that their one legal vote counts.”
It’s not clear if Lake intends to continue her push against the 2020 elections or if she’ll drop those claims altogether, especially after it may have been a reason she lost to Katie Hobbs last year in the battleground state. A spokesperson for Lake’s campaign has not yet returned a request for comment by the Washington Examiner.
The Senate race in Arizona is expected to be one of the most competitive races of the 2024 cycle. The election took on new significance late last year after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) announced she would be leaving the Democratic Party to instead identify as an independent, opening the door for a three-way race in a vital swing state.
National Republicans have raised questions about how competitive Lake will be in the race and are said to be waiting to see before devoting significant resources to Arizona in a bid to take back the Senate majority. Most public polling has shown Lake trailing, and she narrowly lost the governor’s race last year but refused to concede.
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Lake will face Democratic candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), who announced his challenge to replace Sinema earlier this year after the incumbent announced she would be leaving the Democratic Party.
Sinema has not yet announced whether she plans to run for reelection, but if she does, it sets the stage for a competitive race that could determine the balance of power in the Senate.
