For Immediate Release
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023
Contact: Olivia Taylor-Puckett, otpuckett@azdem.org
ICYMI: Republicans Are “Freaking Out” About Kari Lake’s Senate Campaign

“Kari Lake Can’t Win a General Election”

ARIZONA -–  Last night, Kari Lake launched her Senate race by reminding Arizonans of all the reasons we rejected her before, and why Republicans have been “concerned” about her candidacy, fearing “she will cost them a race that could decide control of the Senate.”

Here’s what they’re saying about Kari Lake’s “nightmare” Senate campaign:

• ABC 15 Arizona Family: “‘She has an even bigger job to just tell everyone who she can be. We already know who she is, and the voters rejected her once,’ said Republican political consultant Barrett Marson.”
• 12 News: “‘People chose not to vote for her,’ said Chuck Coughlin, a longtime political consultant at HighGround Consulting in Phoenix and adviser to Republican governors.”
• KTAR: Kari Lake’s entrance into the Arizona Senate race, “worries some Republicans who fear she will cost them a race that could decide control of the Senate.”
• Tucson Sentinel: “Way-too-early polling shows moderate Republicans h-a-a-a-a-a-t-e this woman […] She’s told Democrats, moderate Republicans and one can only assume moderate independents that she hates them.”
• The Gaydos and Chad Show’s Larry Gaydos: “No one is better than Kari Lake at alienating Republicans. No one is better than Kari Lake at alienating a large number of independent voters […] Kari Lake can’t win a general election. She’s kryptonite to general elections. She’s a joke. So, I mean, guess if you want to vote for her. Go ahead. I just thought Republicans wanted to win this time around.”
• New York Times: “One Lake adviser described being surprised by the level of ‘freaking out’ by Washington Republicans.”
• AP: Kari Lake’s willingness to defend election lies “worries some Republicans who fear she will cost them a race that could decide control of the Senate.”
• Reuters: “Some establishment Republicans have fretted that if she wins the nomination, her fiery, hard-right, election-denier stances might not sit well with some of the state’s voters.”
• Politico: “‘I don’t think she has any prospect of actually being elected,’ said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah). ‘The people of Arizona are smarter than that.’”
• MSNBC: “Republican insiders wanted an electable Senate nominee with broad appeal in Arizona. They’re likely to get election denier Kari Lake instead.”

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