Arizona Republican Kari Lake announces Senate run and gets a big endorsement
Phoenix, Arizona - Arizona Republican Kari Lake has announced her anticipated bid for United States Senate.
Lake, a vocal ally of Donald Trump, shared the news during a rally on Tuesday evening after filing paperwork to run earlier this month.
"I'm really tired of watching our politicians retreat from every single important battle. They’re cowards," she said. "That’s how we got into the mess we’re in right now because they have surrendered far too many hills. We are on – we’re on the final hill right now, and I’m not surrendering this hill."
The far-right Republican and former TV news anchor launched an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2022, losing the race to Democrat Katie Hobbs.
Lake led rallies against mask and vaccine mandates during the Covid-19 pandemic and has been a big proponent of the false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump.
She also supports limiting abortion access, curtailing the civil liberties of transgender people, and building a wall between the United States and Mexico.
Donald Trump endorses Kari Lake for Senate
After Lake's latest announcement, Trump quickly chimed in on Truth Social with a two-minute video endorsement: "When I’m back in the White House, I need strong fighters like Kari in the Senate," he said.
Lake is taking on Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in the Republican primary. If she wins that contest, she is likely to face Democratic Representative Ruben Gallego, who announced his campaign for the Senate seat back in January.
"Welcome to the race Kari Lake. I look forward to substantive discussions on *checks notes* your plan to ban abortion without exception, your undermining of our democracy, and threats of violence," Gallego wrote on X.
"That’s why voters rejected you the first time around and we’ll do it again," he added.
Incumbent Kyrsten Sinema, who last December left the Democratic Party to become an Independent, has not yet announced any campaign plans.
Cover photo: Rebecca Noble / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP