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I used to think former Arizona Senate candidate Martha McSally had earned the title of the worst political candidate in Arizona history. Then creepy gun whisperer Blake Masters entered the scene and arguably took the title in 2022. Now, I’m convinced Kari Lake is in pole position.
Over the past few months, Republicans from Donald Trump to Mitch McConnell have expressed annoyance or uncertainty about Lake’s campaign, questioning if she has what it takes to challenge probable Democratic nominee Rep. Ruben Gallego this fall. Some Republicans concerned about Lake’s election hopes have cited her waffling on key issues such as abortion and fighting with fellow Republicans.
Republicans have also advised Lake to steer clear of Trumpian election denialism, a seeming acknowledgment of the fact that no statewide candidate has won a race in Arizona after campaigning on Trump’s baseless claims of widespread election fraud.
I don’t think Lake’s recent appearance on Fox News is likely to assuage any concerns on that front.
Appearing on "Sunday Morning Futures," Lake was asked about her faith in the legitimacy of this fall’s elections, and she claimed she’s not “all that confident” elections will be fair this November. This mirrored her pre-election suggestion in 2022 that the gubernatorial race could be rigged against her. And it was particularly disturbing coming from a candidate who recently advised her followers to strap on a “Glock” to prepare for what Democrats might do this election season.
In her Fox interview, she also pushed bigoted claims that align with the racist “replacement theory,” accusing liberals of offering immigrants welfare services to recruit them for election fraud schemes. Such claims have been the impetus for multiple acts of racist violence. And she touted “many lawsuits” (seemingly including her own failed legal challenges of the 2022 election) she claims would make voting more secure in Arizona.
It’s clear Lake is all-in on election denialism, but evidence suggests Arizonans (voting majorities, at least) are not. As I mentioned, no statewide candidate in Arizona has won a race on an election denial platform since 2020. And Lake’s legal Hail Mary to ban mail-in voting, electronic voting machines and ballot tabulators has gone nowhere in court — not to mention the fact this was an ill-advised crusade in a state where three out of every four voters cast absentee ballots.
These are the kinds of extremism-inspired missteps that have GOPers wincing as they watch the Lake campaign. And for good reason.