Kali Lake won the Republican Senate primary in Arizona on Tuesday night, setting up what is expected to be a fierce battle with Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) for the seat to be vacated by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) in November.
Lake defeated Pinal County, Arizona, Sheriff Mark Lamb in the nomination race.
Gallego also won the Democratic nomination for Senate, officially earning the party’s endorsement as Sinema’s successor.
Lake originally ran for governor in 2022 but lost to current Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (Democrat). Prior to running for governor, Lake was a news anchor for a local television station in Arizona and worked in the media industry for 27 years.
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From left to right: Republican Sheriff Mark Lamb of Pinal County, Arizona, Representative Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), and former Republican candidate for Arizona governor, Kali Lake. (Getty Images)
After his loss in the gubernatorial election, Lake contested the results. Still insisting The allegations of significant fraud in 2020 and 2022 echo claims made by former President Trump and many of his supporters about the elections. These concerns have led the Republican National Committee (RNC) to devote significant time and money to efforts to ensure the integrity of the elections.
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Lake is running for governor in 2022. (Reuters/Mike Seeger)
Lamb has served as Pinal County sheriff since being elected in 2017. He gained attention in 2020 when he refused to enforce stay-at-home orders imposed by then-Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s unfortunate that we’re here, but I need to stand up for my people and my freedom,” he said at the time. Associated Press“I don’t want to fine people, I don’t want to fine people, I don’t want to arrest people who fine people.”
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Governor Lamb did not enforce a stay-at-home order during the COVID-19 outbreak. (Drew Ungerer/Getty Images)
Penalties for violating Arizona’s pandemic-era orders include a $2,500 fine and up to six months in jail.
Lake already had significant name recognition in her 2022 campaign, giving her an advantage in the Senate race, and she also had the endorsement of President Trump and many other Republicans.
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Trump endorsed Lake in the election. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Ultimately, Gallego will run unopposed in the Democratic primary after Sinema left the party and decided not to run for reelection in Arizona.
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Gallego and Lake will face off in the general election on November 5th.
Arizona’s vacant Senate seat is rated “Democrat-favored” by the nonpartisan Political Handicap Institute. Cook Political ReportThis category also includes the Senate races in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, battleground states with Democratic incumbents.
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