GOP could walk away from Arizona if Kari Lake joins Senate race: report
The National Republican Party could decide to walk away from Arizona if Kari Lake looks likely to become the state’s Senate candidate, a report said Sunday.
Lake, a diehard election denier who has filed several lawsuits challenging her loss in the 2022 gubernatorial race announced last week that she plans to throw her hat into the ring for the Senate seat.
And political strategists told the Arizona Republic that, if that happens, the GOP could abandon the state.
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“It remains to be seen whether allies of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will spend in the race. Both the [National Republican Senatorial Committee] and the McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund have projected that West Virginia, Montana and Ohio are priorities over Arizona,” the Republic reported.
A political operative told the Republic that the NRSC has met with Lake and urged her to tone down her election denialism if she runs.
Lake would take on Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who is already running for the GOP nomination. A general election would likely pit her against former Democrat-turned-Independent Krysten Sinema.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is also running.
Sen. Steve Daines, the NRSC chair, told the Republic, “We have had productive conversations with Kari Lake and her team. She is a talented campaigner with an impressive ability to fire up the grassroots. We have a clear path to victory with two Democrats on the ballot in Arizona.”
But he did not commit to giving her support. The Republic reported that the national GOP is skeptical that she will tone down her rhetoric, or even if she is serious about a Senate campaign. They suggested she was more focused on campaigning on behalf of Donald Trump.
“In terms of national support, Republicans don’t need to win Arizona to take back the Senate,” said Erin Covey, a Senate race analyst for the nonpartisan Inside Elections.
“If Kari Lake is the Republican nominee, there are definitely Republicans in D.C. that are not going to be motivated to help her.”
And analyst Jessica Taylor of the Cook Political Report said, “This is not a race they have to win.”
She added, ““They might outwardly be OK with her running. But when push comes to shove, and … you have to triage (money) into the most winnable races, is this one up there? It’s too early to tell. It’s a real question mark.”
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