Kari Lake Wins GOP Senate Primary in Arizona, Setting Up Showdown With Rep. Ruben Gallego

Kari Lake has secured the Republican nomination for Arizona’s Senate seat, emerging victorious in a competitive primary. Lake won approximately 53 percent of the vote, defeating Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and Elizabeth Reye. This win sets the stage for a high-stakes general election against Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

In her victory speech, Lake emphasized the broader implications of the race, stating, “If you think this is a battle between Democrats and Republicans, you’re still sleeping.” She called for unity among Trump Republicans, traditional Republicans, and “disaffected Democrats.” Lake, a former Phoenix-area television news anchor and the Republicans’ 2022 gubernatorial nominee, was the frontrunner throughout the primary, consistently leading in polls.

Lake’s victory was called by the Associated Press at 8:44 p.m. local time. As of 9 p.m., she had garnered 53.3 percent of the vote, carrying all but two counties in the state. Lamb secured 40.7 percent, while Reye received 6.1 percent.

On social media platform X, Gallego responded to Lake’s win, declaring, “It’s official – my opponent is Kari Lake. Arizona, the choice is clear: Kari wants to ban abortion. I will always protect abortion rights.” This statement highlights one of the key issues expected to dominate the upcoming general election.

Lake and Gallego are vying to replace Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), who is not seeking reelection. Sinema, elected as a Democrat in 2018, left the party after the 2022 midterm elections. Matthew Martinez of Turning Point Action praised Lake’s win but emphasized the importance of the general election, stating, “This is a good victory … but we have to win our general.”

Arizona, a crucial battleground state, has a history of producing influential senators. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) ran for president in 2000 and 2008, while Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.) was the Republican nominee in the 1964 presidential election. Arizona’s other current senator, Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), has been mentioned as a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Despite Lake’s primary win, most polls show Gallego leading in the general election. He has also outpaced Lake in campaign fundraising. Lake’s candidacy has been marked by controversy, particularly her legal challenges to the 2022 gubernatorial election, which she claims to have won. She has received endorsements from former President Donald Trump and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

On July 30, Gallego and his wife visited the South Phoenix Missionary Baptist Church to drop off their ballots, later criticizing Lake for her reluctance to commit to a general election debate hosted by the Arizona Clean Debates Commission. Gallego questioned, “I don’t understand why Kari Lake is afraid of an even, grounded debate.”

Lake defended her position, citing dissatisfaction with the debate commission’s treatment of candidates during the 2022 midterms. “We’ve seen how they treated people the last election cycle back in 2022, where people who decided not to do the debate, namely Hobbs, ended up getting her own half-an-hour. That was my problem,” she explained. However, she indicated openness to discussing a debate in a different forum with Gallego.

As Arizona moves toward the general election, the race between Lake and Gallego is poised to capture national attention, with both candidates presenting starkly different visions for the future of the state and the country.