Gallego Surges Ahead of Lake in Fiery U.S. Senate Showdown

In a highly anticipated Senate race, Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego appears to be leading his Republican opponent, Kari Lake, according to early unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s Office. As of 8:45 p.m. on election night, Gallego was ahead by nearly 7 percentage points, with around 1.8 million ballots counted.

Gallego, a former U.S. Marine who has served Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District since 2015, has secured 52.5% of the votes, while Lake, a Trump-backed former news anchor, has garnered 45.7%. Arizona has approximately 4.3 million registered voters, indicating that significant votes still remain to be counted.

The campaign has been intense and costly, as both candidates vie for the seat held by Kyrsten Sinema, who chose not to seek re-election. Lake has become known for her allegiance to conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election, adamantly claiming it was stolen from former President Trump. Additionally, she has made unsubstantiated allegations regarding the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial race against incumbent Governor Katie Hobbs.

Despite her Senate run, Lake has persistently pursued legal challenges to the gubernatorial race results—efforts that have yielded no success. Notably, she has yet to concede the governor’s race nearly two years after the election.

During the only debate between the candidates, Lake asserted that she had never lied to Arizona voters. This comes despite her earlier legal concession, acknowledging that she had disseminated falsehoods about Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer following a defamation lawsuit. Both candidates have painted the other as extreme choices for Arizona voters.

Lake has positioned Gallego as aligned with President Biden, particularly regarding immigration policies, while Gallego countered by highlighting Lake’s rapid shift in views on abortion. Lake has publicly moderated her stance from being “1,000% pro-life” to advocating for states’ rights to determine abortion policies.

Gallego has found support among moderate Republicans who have distanced themselves from Lake’s confrontational style. Notable endorsements include Mesa Mayor John Giles and former staff members of the late Senator John McCain, indicating a potential bipartisan appeal for Gallego’s campaign.