National Republicans knew Kari Lake was unbeatable. . . so they joined her
She embraced her well-earned reputation as a Donald Trump acolyte and the former president himself chimed in on video to offer her his endorsement. Rally attendees wearing Trump garb and holding signs depicting Lake as Rosie the Riveter mingled alongside those in blazers and formal wear.
Lake’s efforts to recast herself, much like her candidacy as a whole, presents a conundrum for Republicans. Many had hoped that she would leave the political stage after her defeat in 2022, convinced that she blew a winnable race by waging such a vicious, unapologetic campaign that dwelled on conspiracies.
But as Lake began to openly consider a Senate bid, it also became evident that the party had no mechanism or leverage for stopping her even if they wanted to. Party operatives traded around private polling that showed Lake was unbeatable in a primary and that hits against her did not put a dent in her numbers, according to a person familiar with the data.
Those who had run against her in the past said they had no appetite to challenge her again in the present.
“She’s the kind of person that doesn’t just run to win. She runs to destroy,”said former Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.), who dropped out of the 2022 governor’s race and endorsed the establishment candidate, Karrin Taylor Robson, to try to avoid opening a path to victory for Lake. Robson ended up losing in the primary.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Kari Lake launched her long-awaited Senate campaign with a 50-minute speech on Tuesday that bore little resemblance to the fire and brimstone candidacy that marked her gubernatorial bid two years ago.
Appearing in an airplane hangar in 94-degree heat, the former TV anchor devoted much of her address to lamenting rising inflation, gas prices and the border crisis. The script suggested a candidate keenly invested in trying to tweak her image. It contained just one passing reference to the election fraud claims that she has harped on so much that they came to politically define her.
At times she even softened her language toward voters who backed President Joe Biden — a massive 180 from the “get the hell out” message she once gave to those who cast a vote for “loser” Sen. John McCain.
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