Trump Ally Kari Lake Wins GOP Arizona Senate Nomination, Set To Face Off Against Democrat Ruben Gallego

Republican Kari Lake and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego will battle for an Arizona Senate seat following the primaries on Tuesday.

Both candidates easily won their respective party’s nomination for the seat, which is open after Sen. Krysten Sinema (I) decided not to seek reelection.

Lake, a MAGA supporter, beat two candidates to win the Republican nomination, including Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and Elizabeth Reye. Lake won 55.4% of the vote, with Lamb following with 39.2% and Reye winning 5.4%. Gallego was uncontested.

Gallego was a representative for the Phoenix area for 12 years. He spent $15 million on advertising and has $18 million in advertising booked through the election, according to AdImpact. His ads feature biographical spots that show his life growing up in a single-parent immigrant household and his service as a Marine.

Lake uses advertising space to attack Gallego for his immigration policies. Lake was also a former Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate, losing the election in 2022 to Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) by less than a percentage point. Lake disputed the results of the election and claimed to be the “real” governor of the state.

Her candidacy comes as the GOP is aiming to gain more traction in the battleground state.

Lake has spent $2 million on advertising and has $6 million in advertising booked for the continuation of her campaign. She is endorsed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Gallego posted on social media after the primaries to attack Lake’s stance on abortion and urge voters to support him.

Lake posted to social media to urge Arizonans to make the state “grand again.”

Arizona is expected to be a critical battleground state for the presidential race, especially if Vice President Kamala Harris chooses Arizona Sen. Mark Kelley (D) to be her running mate.