How Elise Stefanik’s endorsement of Kari Lake helps Dems: 'Happy to join her clown car'

A columnist for the Phoenix-based Arizona Republic — the state's largest newspaper — is arguing that a House Republican leader's endorsement of Republican US Senate candidate Kari Lake may actually help Democrats more than Republicans.

Recently, Lake celebrated the endorsement of Rep. Elise Stefanik (D-New York), who is chair of the House Republican Conference and third-highest ranking member of the House majority. But opinion columnist EJ Montini writes that Stefanik doesn't exactly have the best track record when making endorsements, noting her support of embattled Rep. George Santos (R-New York). Montini observed that Lake was "happy to join her clown car."

"[Santos] is already under indictment for 23 federal crimes. This week he announced he isn’t running for reelection after a report from the House Ethics Committee said their investigation into Santos found that he may have committed even more crimes. Stefanik loved him, however. And she loves Lake," Montini wrote. "Lake, in turn, loves Stefanik, saying she is humbled by the endorsement and that Stefanik 'is a proven conservative warrior and leader for the American people.'"

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Montini reminded readers that Rep. Stefanik previously endorsed Republican Congressional candidate Carl Paladino, who once described Nazi leader Adolf Hitler as the "kind of leader we need today," along with other endorsements of Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) and former Alaska Governor (and 2008 vice presidential nominee) Sarah Palin, who Montini referred to as "political cranks."

"Now that Santos is not seeking reelection, however, and may be expelled from the House at any time, there is an opening in the otherwise tightly packed clown car driven by Stefanik," Montini wrote. "And Kari Lake is calling 'Shotgun!'"

Kari Lake, a former TV news anchor, ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor of Arizona in 2022, losing to Democrat Katie Hobbs. Lake has still not conceded her election loss despite multiple losing multiple challenges in court. She likewise continues to falsely assert that former President Donald Trump was the true winner of the 2020 presidential election.

Lake is currently in a statistical tie with Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) in the 2024 Senate race. Incumbent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona) has not yet officially filed reelection paperwork, but is continuing to solicit donations and is expected to formally announce a 2024 campaign in the future.

READ MORE: Kari Lake makes 'sharp pivot' to court same Republicans she 'went out of her way to offend': report