A new AARP poll in Arizona found Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) leading Kari Lake (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 48% to 45%, with 6% undecided.
Kari Lake Campaigned In Front of Confederate Flag
“Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake (R) recently held a campaign event that included a Confederate battle flag prominently displayed behind her,” the Arizona Republic reports.
“For Lake, the optics of an image of her in front of the symbol of the Confederacy could undermine her efforts to reach Arizona’s sizable independent voters and deepen the Democratic narrative of her as an extremist.”
Gallego Gets Boost from Ex-McCain, Sinema Donors
Rep. Ruben Gallego’s (D-AZ) U.S. Senate bid in Arizona “is getting a boost from a group of donors who previously backed Republicans like the late Sen. John McCain and the independent incumbent he hopes to replace, Kyrsten Sinema,” Politico reports.
The Moderate Reinvention of Ruben Gallego
“Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) prepped his run for a fiercely contested Senate seat by bashing the incumbent for ‘abandoning the Democratic Party’ and Arizonans, and standing in the way of expanding voting rights and abortion access with her support for the filibuster,” the Washington Post reports.
“Now, after Sinema decided not to seek reelection, Gallego says he would ‘love to have’ avowed centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s endorsement, calling her ‘very well-liked’ among her fellow independents.”
Ruben Gallego Places $19 Million Ad Buy in Arizona
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), “running unopposed in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Arizona, placed a reservation on Monday for $19 million in television advertisements for the general election this fall, according to his campaign — the largest any Senate candidate in the country has made so far,” the New York Times reports.
Republicans Wonder How Hard to Back Kari Lake
“National Republicans embraced Kari Lake’s Arizona Senate bid, reasoning she was likely to win the primary with or without their support,” Politico reports.
“Now they are confronting the consequences of having a MAGA lightning rod as their nominee in one of the most competitive states in the country. And some GOP leaders are undecided about just how much support to offer her in a general election, given ample opportunities elsewhere to pick up Senate seats.”
“Lake has not managed a clean pivot from her hard-right roots. In the past month alone, she publicly waffled on her opposition to Arizona’s near-total abortion ban and returned to the flamethrowing rhetoric of her last run when she urged voters to ‘strap on a Glock’ to prepare for 2024.”
Kari Lake Laments Arizona Not Enforcing 1864 Ban
Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake (R) told the Idaho Dispatch that “unfortunately,” her state’s near-total abortion ban dating from 1864 is not being enforced, flipping back on comments she made against the law earlier this month, when she called state legislators asking them to repeal it, NBC News reports.
Said Lake: “The Arizona Supreme Court said this is the law of Arizona. But unfortunately, the people running our state have said we’re not going to enforce it.”
Kari Lake Says an Abortion Is Just ‘Three Hours That Way’
Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake (R) seemed to downplay Arizona’s recently upheld strict 1864 abortion ban by telling people “you can go three hours that way, three hours that way, and you’re going to be able to have an abortion,” USA Today reports.
She added: “Everyone’s fighting about a law that’s not even going to be enforced here in Arizona.”
Washington Post: Inside the GOP reckoning over Arizona’s 1864 abortion ban.
Arizona Senate Race Now Leans Democratic
Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “The two new developments that pushed us to make these changes are the increased importance of abortion rights in the state following a blockbuster state court decision last week as well as recent Democratic fundraising strength in both races.”
Kari Lake Tells Supporters to ‘Strap on a Glock’
Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake (R) urged supporters in Arizona to “strap on a Glock” pistol as they prepare for what she called an intense six months leading up to the Nov. 5 elections, Reuters reports.
Said Lake: “We are going to put on the armor of God. Then maybe strap on a Glock.”
Ruben Gallego Raises $7.5 Million
Rep. Ruben Gallego, the expected Democratic nominee for Senate in Arizona, “raised $7.5 million in the first three months of the year, his campaign said on Tuesday, a significant sum for what is likely to be a competitive general election race in the battleground state,” the New York Times reports.
“So far, Mr. Gallego has raised more money than Kari Lake, who has not yet released her most recent quarterly fund-raising numbers.”
Kari Lake Struggles to Find Her Path
“Kari Lake opened her Senate run in Arizona showing every intention of shedding the trappings of the Trumpism that made her a star in conservative circles but cost her the governor’s race two years ago: unfounded claims of election fraud, ruthless attacks on fellow Republicans and obsequious tributes to former President Donald Trump,” the New York Times reports.
“Ms. Lake, a former television anchor, has reached out to her critics. She has sought to appeal to the Republican establishment in ways that Mr. Trump has not, framing his Make America Great Again movement as a natural evolution of Reaganism, which attracted legions of voters to the party more 40 years ago. And she has moderated her message on abortion, opposing a federal ban on the procedure she once called ‘the ultimate sin.'”
“But after six months as a Senate candidate, she is struggling to walk away from the controversial positions that have turned off independents and alienated potential allies, lashing out in ways that Republicans now backing her campaign have warned will result in another defeat.”
Senate Republicans Are All-In on Kari Lake
“Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), the chair of the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, will fundraise with Arizona Republican Kari Lake next month — a snapshot into the party’s full-court press to help elect the pro-Trump election denier,” Axios reports.
“Republicans view the Arizona opening as one of their top opportunities to gain a Senate seat in November, prompting every corner of the party to coalesce around Lake, despite her controversial past.”
Kari Lake Airs Election Grievances Despite Advice
“GOP leaders have counseled Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake to avoid airing grievances about past elections and instead center her campaign on a more forward-looking message,” CNN reports.
“She hasn’t exactly taken the advice.”
“While Lake did say she is more concerned about her upcoming battle against Democratic candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego, the former TV broadcaster is still not shying away from echoing former President Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories about the election when asked about the issue as she fights for a critical Senate seat in a battleground state.”
John Thune Endorses Kari Lake
Sen. John Thune (R-SD), the number two Republican in the Senate, is endorsing Kari Lake (R) in her Arizona Senate bid, Axios reports.
Kyrsten Sinema Won’t Run for Re-Election
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) announced she will not run for reelection, NBC News reports.
Her decision provides Democrats a sigh of relief and avoiding what would have been a messy three-way race with an independent incumbent, a Democrat and a Republican.
Kari Lake to Hit Ruben Gallego on Crime and Immigration
Kari Lake (R) and her Republican allies are planning an advertising and messaging offensive against Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) on crime and the southern border in the Arizona Senate race, Axios reports.
No Peace in Arizona
Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake (R) reached out to Meghan McCain in an effort to mend fences after she was critical of the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).
Said Lake: “I value you. I value your family and I value the passion you have for our state.”
A few hours later, McCain responded: “No peace, bitch!”
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