For Immediate Release
Tuesday, October 10th, 2023
Contact: Olivia Taylor-Puckett, otpuckett@azdem.org
Arizona Democratic Party Statement on Lake Senate Announcement
ARIZONA -– In response to Kari Lake’s anticipated entrance in to Arizona’s GOP Senate primary, Arizona Democratic Party Chairwoman Yolanda Bejarano released the following statement:
“Arizonans know Kari Lake has dangerous views like banning abortion without exceptions, ending Medicare and Social Security, and pushing a host of fringe conspiracy theories. Lake’s Senate candidacy is Republicans’ worst nightmare– voters of every political persuasion have rejected her before and will do so again.”
What to know about Lake and Republicans’ “deep concern”about her candidacy:
- Lake has dangerous views and harmful policies: she backed an abortion ban without exceptions, would end Medicare and Social Security, and is “one of the nation’s leading conspiracy theorists” – with fringe ideas like recording children in classrooms.
- Arizona Republic, Hansen: “Lake’s expected entry into Arizona’s U.S. Senate race has Republicans and other political observers bracing for an unavoidably bumpy ride for the GOP.”
- Arizona Republic: “Former Yuma County GOP Chair Phil Townsend, who endorsed Lake in the 2022 election[…]feels that Lake has taken the party ‘in a direction that I’m not comfortable with.’ […] ‘I think she’s proven herself to be a grifter and a sore loser, and I’m not going to be able to support her.’”
- Phoenix New Times: Kari Lake, Arizona’s never-ending nightmare, jumps into Senate race
- Fox News: “Republicans worry Kari Lake…will lose Arizona Senate race.”. “GOP leaders and operatives fear” that Lake’s candidacy “may bungle the party’s chance” to win.
- POLITICO: Arizona Republicans fear they may blow it again. Lake’s candidacy is “sparking angst among Republicans.”
- The Washington Post: “There is deep concern about Lake’s viability in a general election, national Republican operatives said, given her recent statewide loss, continued focus on false election fraud claims and her unfavorable ratings”
- The Messenger: “with candidates like Lake […] Arizona business leaders again see an unstoppable slow motion car wreck in progress.”
- The Washington Examiner: “a Republican strategist based in Washington who requested anonymity to speak candidly said […] ‘If she runs, Republicans lose. It’s that simple.’”
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