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Jimmy Williams
NBC News has projected Kari Lake as the winner of the Republican Senate primary in Arizona, setting the stage for a significant showdown against Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego.
Lake, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, secured 55% of the vote, outperforming Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who received 39%. Former news anchor Elizabeth Reye came in a distant third.
Lake will now compete for the seat vacated by independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema against Gallego, a House member from Phoenix and Marine veteran who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. This race is pivotal for determining control of the Senate this fall, especially in battleground Arizona.
“This is not a battle between Democrats and Republicans. This is a battle between good and evil,” Lake stated at her election night event. “This is a battle between the people who want to destroy this country and the people who want to save America.”
Lake, 54, previously gained political attention during her unsuccessful 2022 gubernatorial run, where she prominently promoted Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. She refused to concede her loss to Democrat Katie Hobbs, the current governor of Arizona. Lake’s Senate campaign has similarly highlighted Trump’s endorsement, which she showcased by arriving at her polling location in a tour bus featuring her image with Trump and the words “Endorsed by President Trump.”
Gallego, 44, has emphasized his ability to work across party lines in his campaign. “In the 554 days since we launched this campaign, Arizonans in every corner of the state have made clear that they want a U.S. Senator who can bring people together to defend abortion rights, cut costs for families, protect our water future, and take care of our veterans — and that’s exactly what I intend to do,” Gallego stated.
Financially, Gallego enters the general election with a significant advantage, holding $8.2 million in his campaign account compared to Lake’s $2.1 million as of July 10.
Key House Primaries in Arizona
Several important House primaries were also held in Arizona, with some results still pending as of Wednesday morning.
– Freshman GOP Rep. Juan Ciscomani secured victory over a primary challenger in the swing 6th District, setting up a rematch with former state Sen. Kirsten Engel, who ran uncontested in the Democratic primary. Engel lost to Ciscomani by less than 2 percentage points two years ago. The race is considered a toss-up.
– In another battleground, the 6th District, Democrats were vying to challenge GOP Rep. David Schweikert.
– The 8th District saw a tight Republican primary race between former Maricopa County prosecutor Abe Hamadeh, financier Blake Masters, and state House Speaker Ben Toma. Both Hamadeh and Masters, who ran unsuccessfully for statewide office in 2020, had Trump’s support. The primary winner will likely succeed retiring Rep. Debbie Lesko.
– In the 3rd District, which Gallego is vacating to run for Senate, former Phoenix City Council member Yassamin Ansari and former state Democratic Party chair Raquel Terán were competing in the Democratic primary.
