Kari Lake Wins GOP Senate Primary in Arizona, Setting Up Showdown With Rep. Ruben Gallego

Lake won the Republican primary with approximately 53 percent of the vote, while Gallego ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

PHEONIX—Kari Lake has won Arizona’s Republican Senate primary, defeating Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and Elizabeth Reye.

“If you think this is a battle between Democrats and Republicans, you’re still sleeping,” Lake said in her victory speech, calling on Trump Republicans, traditional Republicans, “disaffected Democrats,” and others to come together.

Lake, a former Phoenix-area television news anchor and Republicans’ 2022 gubernatorial nominee, was favored to win the primary with a significant lead in most polls.

Her victory sets up a general election contest with Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who ran unopposed in the Democratic Senate primary.

During her victory speech, the Iowa-born Lake brandished what she described as an opposition research file on Gallego, calling him extreme and highlighting his Chicago origins.

Gallego’s victory was called shortly after the polls closed at 7:00 p.m. local time. The Associated Press called Lake’s victory in the primary at 8:44 p.m. local time.

“It’s official – my opponent is Kari Lake,” Gallego wrote on X shortly after Lake’s victory was projected. “Arizona, the choice is clear: Kari wants to ban abortion. I will always protect abortion rights.”

As of 9 p.m. local time, Lake had won 53.3 percent of the vote, according to the Associated Press, and carried all but two counties in the state. Lamb had 40.7 percent as of that same time, while Reye had 6.1 percent.

Lake and Gallego are seeking to replace Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), who is not seeking reelection. Sinema was elected as a Democrat in 2018 but left the party after the 2022 midterm elections.

Matthew Martinez, who leads the legal ballot-chasing effort for conservative advocacy group Turning Point Action, lauded Lake’s win in a speech at her victory party.

“This is a good victory… but we have to win our general,” Martinez said on stage.

Senators from Arizona, a battleground state, have often received a spotlight in national politics. The late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) ran for president in 2000, where he was Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s primary opponent, and in 2008, when he won the nomination but was defeated in the general election by Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

McCain later attracted national prominence for his criticism of candidate Donald Trump in 2016 and, later, during his presidency. McCain succeeded the late Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.), who was the Republican nominee in the 1964 presidential election against President Lyndon Johnson. Goldwater later played a key role in defense policy and is often regarded as a pivotal figure in the conservative movement.

Arizona’s other senator, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), is named as a possible running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee.

Most polls show Gallego with a lead over Lake. He has also significantly outraised Lake in terms of campaign contributions. Lake’s candidacy has attracted controversy for her legal challenges to the 2022 gubernatorial election, where she claims she won the race against Gov. Katie Hobbs. She has been endorsed by Trump as well as the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the party’s Senate campaign arm.

Earlier on July 30, Gallego and his wife visited the South Phoenix Missionary Baptist Church to drop off their ballots, which were mailed to them ahead of time. In a subsequent press conference, Gallego criticized Lake’s unwillingness to commit to a general election debate hosted by the Arizona Clean Debates Commission.

“I don’t understand why Kari Lake is afraid of an even, grounded debate,” Gallego said.

Lake said she didn’t want to work with the debate commission, citing her treatment during the 2022 midterms.

“We’ve seen how they treated people the last election cycle back in 2022, where people who decided not to do the debate, namely Hobbs, ended up getting her own half-an-hour. That was my problem,” Lake told reporters on July 30.

She indicated that her campaign would consult with Gallego about a possible debate in another forum.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.