Lake Narrowly Erodes Gallego’s Edge in Arizona Senate Showdown

Republican Kari Lake is narrowing the gap in her race against Democratic opponent Ruben Gallego for Arizona’s U.S. Senate seat, as more election results are released. By 8 p.m. on Friday, after the tallying of approximately 123,220 new ballots from Maricopa County, Lake trailed Gallego by just 1.1 percentage points, equating to a difference of 32,779 votes.

Following the election, Gallego initially held a 2.5 percentage point lead and a margin of 52,578 votes. However, this advantage diminished to a 43,698-vote lead by Thursday and continued to shrink on Friday.

Lake, a former Phoenix television news anchor, gained substantial support from traditionally Republican counties such as Yavapai, where she received nearly 76% of recent votes compared to Gallego’s 22%. Gallego, a U.S. Congressman and Marine veteran, performed well in Coconino County, securing 57% to Lake’s 39%.

Maricopa County, home to around 60% of Arizona’s voters, is crucial in this race. On Friday, Lake led Gallego in newly counted votes in this county by 2 percentage points. The county has faced criticism for its slow ballot counting process, a point of concern for both Arizonans and national observers.

Historically, Maricopa County has averaged 13 days to count ballots over the past 16 years, but this year’s tally has been particularly slow due to a lengthy two-page ballot. As of Friday evening, 81% of the state’s ballots had been counted, with roughly 351,000 remaining in Maricopa County and about 629,000 statewide. Altogether, around 2.8 million ballots had been processed out of nearly 4.4 million registered voters, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

Lake’s campaign is actively engaged in efforts to ensure every vote is counted, focusing on resolving issues such as missing signatures on ballot envelopes. Supporters remain optimistic about her chances, citing the importance of outstanding ballots. Tyler Bowyer, from Turning Point USA, assured followers that their ground efforts would make a significant impact. This organization has been pivotal in Republican turnout strategies throughout the current election cycle.

As both candidates faced off in a heated campaign marked by personal attacks and accusations of extremism, their platforms diverged significantly. Gallego emphasized plans for making life affordable, restoring abortion rights, and enhancing border security through tactical advancements. Conversely, Lake mirrored Trump’s political style, advocating for the completion of his proposed border wall and the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. Trump endorsed Lake during both her unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 2022 and her current Senate campaign.

Amid her Senate run, Lake has continued her contentious legal battles concerning the gubernatorial race results from two years ago, where she has yet to concede defeat. The Arizona Supreme Court recently denied her final appeal. Additionally, she may face financial repercussions from Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer following her concession of fault in his defamation lawsuit, stemming from her claims that Richer manipulated the 2022 elections against her.