Arizonans definitively rejected election denier and MAGA extremist Kari Lake for a second time. Lake was tanking in the polls in the months leading up to Election Day due to her refusal to acknowledge her defeat in the 2022 gubernatorial race, along with her continued promotion of disinformation and extreme rhetoric. Her campaign is marked by the spread of debunked election fraud claims, support for Arizona’s 1864 abortion ban, and inflammatory language that encouraged political violence.
“Arizonans officially gave Kari Lake the boot, making her a back-to-back, two-time loser,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Nico Delgado. “Trump, national Republicans, and Arizona voters left Lake in the dust because they knew her extreme rhetoric and delusion around the 2022 election would make her one of the worst senators in Arizona’s history.”
See some of the stories that led to Lake’s defeat:
- CNN: Fact check: Kari Lake’s continuing false Arizona election claims
- New York Times: Kari Lake Delivered a Speech in Front of a Confederate Flag
- NBC: Kari Lake says ‘unfortunately’ Arizona isn’t enforcing 1864 abortion ban, flipping again
- Salon: “Can I talk about water?”: Kari Lake dodges election question at “messy” Arizona Senate debate
See below for the lowlights that contributed to Lake’s loss:
- Lake is a prominent election denier who refused to concede her last gubernatorial race and has pushed through failed election lawsuits. Lake even refers to herself as the “duly elected governor.”
- Lake repeatedly defends January 6th insurrectionists.
- Lake supported Arizona’s 1864 near-total abortion ban, which did not have exceptions for rape or incest.
- Lake called a 15-week abortion ban “reasonable.”
- Lake said abortion pills should be outlawed and called abortion “demonic.”
- Lake made a racist, false claim about Gallego’s father being a Colombian drug trafficker.
- Lake praised scandal-ridden North Carolina Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, who called himself a “black NAZI” on a pornography website.
- Lake proudly endorsed Minnesota GOP Senate candidate Royce White, who recently said “the bad guys won in WWII.”
- Lake encouraged supporters to “strap on a Glock” to prepare for the 2024 elections.
- Lake encouraged barbers and hairdressers to intimidate voters with the “weapon” they use close to their ear.
- Lake wants to put cameras in all of Arizona’s classrooms, risking the safety of children.
- Lake appeared in a promotional video for Trump’s Project 2025.
- Lake campaigned in front of a Confederate flag.
- Lake lied during her speech at the Republican National Convention, falsely claiming that undocumented immigrants could vote.
- Lake called for repealing the Affordable Care Act, which would strip away health care access from the 350,000 Arizonans who depend on it.
- Lake proposed massive cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.
- Lake repeatedly promoted conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and vaccines.
- Lake called climate change a “scam” and downplayed record temperatures.
- Lake opposed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS Act.
Published: Nov 12, 2024