Senate Republicans' campaign arm endorses Kari Lake in Arizona
Senate Republicans' campaign arm endorsed Kari Lake in Arizona on Tuesday, signaling the party's embrace of an incendiary candidate in a state central to their efforts to regain a majority.
The approval of the National Republican Senate Committee, first reported by Politicoreflects Ms. Lake's efforts to play nice with a Republican establishment that she destroyed in her 2022 campaign for governor and that has long had concerns about her electability.
“Kari Lake is one of the most talented candidates in the country,” committee chairman Senator Steve Daines of Montana said in a statement. “Kari is building an effective campaign operation that has what it takes to flip Arizona's Senate seat in November.”
Ms. Lake is seeking the Republican nomination in what could be a three-way race for the seat currently held by Senator Kyrsten Sinema. Representative Ruben Gallego is the frontrunner on the Democratic side, and Ms. Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in 2022 to become an independent, has not confirmed whether she will run for re-election.
Mark Lamb, a right-wing sheriff, is also running for the Republican nomination.
Ms. Lake, a protege of former President Donald J. Trump, followed Mr. Trump's lead in refusing to concede her loss in the midterm election race for governor. For months, she unsuccessfully challenged the outcome in court, advancing conspiracy theories about voter fraud and disenfranchisement that were similar to Trump's false claims about the 2020 election, which she also embraced. Mr. Trump endorsed her campaign for Senate when she entered the race in October.
On Monday, she also received messages of support from Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida.
Democrats took issue with the National Republican Senatorial Committee's endorsement even before Daines publicly confirmed it.
“Kari Lake is the textbook example of Senate Republicans' quality problem and terrible recruitment strategy,” Tommy Garcia, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement. “Lake is an election loser despised by Arizona Republicans and brings enormous baggage and disqualifying flaws to the campaign. We are happy with the NRSC's choice.”
The chairman of Arizona's Republican Party resigned last month after releasing a recording of a conversation in which he pressured Ms. Lake to accept money or a job in exchange for her not running for office. When he resigned, he said he was concerned about “her limited appeal among moderates and independents, and that she would be a drag on the entire ticket.”