Kari Lake is fueling speculation that she may launch a run for Senate.
Arizona’s failed gubernatorial candidate met with officials from the National Republican Senatorial Committee on Thursday as she mulls a 2024 U.S. Senate bid for Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-AZ) seat, Politico reported.
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The meeting lasted about an hour and included talk of the differences between running a Senate campaign and a gubernatorial one, Lake’s senior adviser Caroline Wren confirmed to the outlet.
It is common for NRSC officials to meet with possible candidates, but such visits do not necessarily mean the Senate GOP campaign arm will support him or her.
There have been whispers that Lake will enter the race, which some Republicans believe could backfire and hand Democrats the coveted Senate seat.
Lake is a polarizing political figure who has yet to concede her 2022 midterm loss to Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ).
Instead, Lake has upped her baseless claims that the election was rigged and that she is the rightful winner. Lake, one of the country’s loudest election deniers, has the full backing of former President Donald Trump as she tries to litigate her loss.
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The former television news anchor-turned-MAGA warrior has promised bombshell after bombshell to prove her race was rigged but has yet to provide any real evidence. She has raised more than $2.5 million to help offset the costs of litigating her 17,000-vote loss but has only used about 10% of it on actual election-related court expenditures so far.
She has gone on multiple conservative talk shows peddling her theories, claiming recently on one that “we cannot have the election stand.”
“The judge should declare me the rightful winner,” she said. “I am the rightful winner, and we should move on and reclaim our government, our state government.”
For now, Lake is staying mostly mum on her next steps in politics, though she is set to travel to Iowa next week to meet with the Scott County Republican Women group.
A number of other Arizona Republicans, including Blake Masters, the protegee of billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel, are also believed to be looking into a 2024 Senate run. Masters lost his Senate race against incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) in November.
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In January, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) announced his bid for Sinema’s seat. His entrance into the race will likely result in a three-way general election, though Sinema has not yet announced her 2024 plans. Sinema broke ties with the Democratic Party in December to become an independent.
