Arizona Republican Kari Lake has been stirring speculation about angling for a role as Donald Trump’s running mate. Since last year’s election, she’s popped up at former Trump’s Florida estate, lobbied on behalf of an alternative candidate for R.N.C. chair, and swung through Iowa like a presidential candidate.
Now, Lake has all but withdrawn her name from the race to become vice president. Instead, Lake is planning to announce a run for Arizona’s highly competitive seat in the U.S. Senate, Lake herself told the Wall Street Journal Thursday.
Lake declined to answer the Journal‘s questions about a possible offer for the vice presidency.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat-turned-independent, currently holds the Senate seat up for grabs next year. Sinema has yet to announce a decision on whether or not to run for re-election. However, she has been taking note of deadlines for assembling a campaign staff, according to a slideshow leaked to national media.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Reuben Gallego is running for the seat on the Democratic side. Gallego is by far the most searched candidate in the Democratic primary, according to Google Trends.
The Senate Democrats’ leadership has yet to pick a side. They no longer count Sinema among their ranks, but they still count on her vote in the 51-49 Senate.
Republicans enjoy an advantage is next year’s Senate race. Three Senate Democrats are facing re-election in states won by Trump, and many more are running for re-election in swing states, like Nevada, Pennsylvania, and — of course — Arizona.
However, some Republicans worry about Lake’s electability. Republicans dominated Arizona politics from the 1940s until the mid-2010s, but last year they lost a series of races, including the state’s race for governor.
Accordingly, some Republicans have reportedly encouraged Lake to talk less about voter fraud and more about consensus issues, like border security.
Lake enjoyed a long career as a newscaster for Phoenix’s Fox affiliate before running for governor last year. She achieved national attention for her refusal to concede her loss, and she’s still litigating the election in court.
Lake joins Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in the Republican Senate primary. Several other Republicans have considered running but have stayed out of the race while Lake considered her plans. They include Blake Masters, Jim Lamon and Karrin Taylor Robson, all businesspeople who lost 2022 races for Senate or governor.
Last year, Republicans lost several Senate races after opening messy primaries, like in New Hampshire.
Meanwhile, Trump may look elsewhere for a running mate, rather than picking the front-running Republican in a competitive election.
Trump is leaning toward a female running mate but hasn’t ruled out the men.
“I like the concept, but we’re going to pick the best person,” Trump told NBC News earlier this month. “But I do like the concept, yes.”
The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article.