Kari Lake Triumphs Over Mark Lamb to Secure GOP U.S. Senate Nomination

Kari Lake has emerged victorious in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, defeating Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb. The Associated Press called the race for Lake soon after initial vote totals were announced by the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office on election night.

With approximately 905,000 ballots counted statewide, Lake led Lamb by nearly 13 percentage points. She will face Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego, who had no primary opposition, in the general election on November 5.

Lake, a former longtime Phoenix news anchor, entered politics in 2021 with a gubernatorial run supported by former President Donald Trump. Although she lost that race to Democrat Katie Hobbs, Lake refused to accept the results, alleging election fraud and unsuccessfully challenging the outcome in court.

On October 2023, Lake announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate while continuing to appeal her gubernatorial loss. Her legal team has been sanctioned by the Arizona Supreme Court for misinformation in legal filings, and one attorney was suspended for 60 days for related actions.

In addition, Lake is embroiled in a defamation lawsuit filed in June 2023 by Republican Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer. Richer claimed Lake falsely accused him of sabotaging the 2022 election. Lake has legally conceded that her statements about Richer were false, and the case now focuses on the damages owed to Richer.

Mark Lamb, who campaigned heavily on securing the border, was elected Pinal County Sheriff in 2017. Despite Pinal County not sharing a border with Mexico, Lamb pledged to combat criminal cartels, continuing a law enforcement career that followed his ownership of a pest control business.

On a platform emphasizing God, family, and freedom, Lamb promised to confront the “woke left” if elected. He faced consistent trailing poll numbers against Lake. Notably, Lake declined a debate with Lamb last month, despite previously criticizing her gubernatorial opponent Katie Hobbs for avoiding debates in 2022.