Kari Lake’s 'I didn’t really mean what I said' campaign may not win over home state Republicans

10 March 2024

Now that US Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) announced her decision not to run for re-election in 2024, the Arizona Senate race is now between US Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and former newscaster and Republican, Kari Lake.

In a Sunday, March 10 New York Times report, journalist Kellen Browning highlights the fact that Lake's Senate campaign is one driven by hope for reconciliation, as the 2022 GOP gubernatorial candidate "is courting former foes and trying to mend fences."

Lake's failed run for governor included bashing late US Senator John McCain (R-AZ) during campaign events, personally offending former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, as well as her 2022 primary rival Karrin Taylor Robson — and consistently denying 2020 presidential election results.

Browning notes Lake "accused Ms. Robson of 'trying to buy the election with her 95-yr-old husband’s millions,' and blasted Mr. Ducey as 'do-nothing Ducey.'" She also told McCain supporters during a 2022 campaign event to "get the hell out," but last month said during an interview that her comment as made "in jest."

Furthermore, Browning reports Lake has "reached out privately" to Ducey, Robson, Senator McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain, and other establishment Republicans "according to six people with knowledge of the outreach," as the failed GOP candidate "has expressed regrets about her past behavior, one of the people said."

Longtime McCain ally Sharon Harper told the Times, "I think people understand who Kari Lake is. We’ve seen what she has demonstrated, and I don’t think an opinion changes if someone says, 'I didn’t really mean what I said.'"

More recently, in January, Arizona Republican Party Chairman Jeff DeWit suddenly resigned after Lake warned that she would "leak additional recordings of their private conversations." When the right-wing Senate hopeful publicly endorsed MAGA supporter Gina Swoboda to replace DeWit during a GOP meeting, the ex-newscaster was met with "boos and jeers as she took the stage."

Mohave County GOP Chair Jeanna Kentch asked, "Is it really the way we should all be behaving, even as Republicans? To tape-record somebody that trusts you?" She told the Times, "I love Kari, don’t get me wrong. But I think that’s what people are concerned about."

Browning notes former Governor "Ducey is not expected to endorse in the Republican primary, according to a person familiar with his plans. A recent conversation between Ms. Lake and Ms. Robson was productive, according to advisers for the two women, but nothing was decided."

The New York Times' full report is available at this link (subscription required).

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