Arizona’s 2024 GOP Showdown: Key Highlights from the U.S. Senate Primary

By Matthew Holloway |

Arizona’s Republican Primary for the U.S. Senate seat became fiercely contentious between Kari Lake and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb. Lake, a former Gubernatorial candidate, labeled Lamb as a “total coward when it comes to election integrity” and accused him of surrendering to the establishment. Lamb, in turn, described Lake as “a divider,” urging her to accept responsibility for her 2022 defeat by Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Despite many races’ results yet to be finalized, the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office reported unofficial results as of noon on July 31. According to these results, Lake emerged victorious, securing the Republican nomination with 55.3% of the votes against Lamb’s 39.3%, a difference of 98,644 votes.

In a post to X, Lake expressed gratitude, acknowledging the efforts of her campaign team and supporters. “I want to thank everyone who put in their blood, sweat, and tears, knocking on doors, volunteering, and working for our campaign. I love every one of you. I want to thank Arizonans for entrusting me to be their voice. And I want to thank my family; I couldn’t do any of this without them,” she wrote.

As of this reporting, Mark Lamb has not issued a concession statement regarding the race.

Lake will face Democrat Congressman Ruben Gallego in the general election. Gallego won the Democratic nomination unopposed, securing 424,088 votes. The Cook Political Report suggests the race for the seat of outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) leans Democrat, with RealClearPolling showing Gallego leading by 3.4 points.

In a conciliatory note, Lake acknowledged Lamb’s contributions to Arizona in her acceptance post on X. “Sheriff Lamb was never an opponent. He’s my friend. I truly appreciate everything he’s given to Arizona, and I know he’s not done fighting for it. He’s not done protecting it. He ran a great campaign, and I look forward to working together with him in the future,” Lake stated.

She further praised Lamb’s character, noting, “He ran a great campaign…that never hit below the belt, which is so rare in politics. That is a great man. That is a man of great character.”

Matthew Holloway is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.