Arizona Republican Senate candidate Kali Lake won Tuesday’s primary and will face off against Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) in November’s general election.
Lake, 54, defeated his main rival, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, by a margin of 53.3% to 40.7%. The Associated Press reported the race as Lake’s victory just 46 minutes after the polls closed.
Former President Donald Trump endorsed Lake, a former Phoenix television anchor, in October.
In 2022, Lake lost the Arizona gubernatorial race to Democrat Katie Hobbs by about 17,000 votes.
Lake refused to concede the election results to Hobbs and filed multiple lawsuits challenging the results, which he lost in court.
Lake pleaded not guilty earlier this year to a defamation lawsuit filed by state elections officials alleging he rigged the 2022 gubernatorial election.
Gallego, 44, won the Democratic nomination unopposed.
The four-term congressman has been endorsed by Hobbs, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Gallego and Lake will compete for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (R-Ariz.), an Independent who announced in March that she would not seek reelection.
Gallego announced his candidacy for Sinema’s Senate seat in early 2023. He had been eyeing a primary challenge to Sinema even before she switched parties in late 2022.
Entering July, Gallego had a significant financial advantage over Lake, reporting $9.2 million in cash on hand compared to Lake’s $2.8 million.
The Democratic congressman is also leading his Republican opponent in opinion polls. RealClearPolitics Average The poll shows Galligo leading Lake by 3.4 percentage points.
Along with high-profile challenges to Republican Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jon Tester (D-Montana) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), the Arizona election will determine whether Republicans regain control of the Senate in 2025.
Democrats currently hold a majority in the Senate by just one vote.
