Pouring cold water on Trump’s victory in Arizona is the fact that GOP Senate leadership made the baffling decision to leave Kari Lake high and dry, allocating no funds to support her in this razor-close race. As it stands, Democrat Ruben Gallego squeaked out a victory in Arizona’s Senate contest, while Lake, despite running a competitive campaign, ultimately lost a shot at the seat held by Independent Kyrsten Sinema.
Lake’s story is one of resilience and close calls. She left a successful career as a news anchor to enter Arizona politics, earning Trump’s endorsement in her 2022 gubernatorial run, which ended in a narrow loss to Katie Hobbs. This Senate race, in which she lost by just over a single percentage point, could have gone differently if GOP Senate leaders had bothered to throw even a modest financial lifeline her way. As it turned out, Gallego’s 49.7% barely edged out Lake’s 48.2%, while Independent Eduardo Quintana’s 2.1% siphoned off just enough votes to play spoiler.
For Democrats, Gallego’s win is a minor victory, especially as it doesn’t touch the Republicans’ newly fortified Senate majority. This election cycle saw the GOP add four seats to their count, putting them at a solid 53-46 control of the Senate. But the party’s choice to spend big on other races while effectively abandoning a winnable seat in Arizona has left many on the right scratching their heads. The GOP’s new Senate roster includes Bernie Moreno from Ohio, Jim Banks from Indiana, John Curtis from Utah, and Jim Justice from West Virginia—each part of a robust GOP majority that Kari Lake could have contributed to, had she received any meaningful support.
While Lake gave it her all, the absence of funds from the Senate leadership left her campaign with fewer resources to combat Gallego’s operation, which was clearly well-prepared and well-funded. This outcome is bound to spark frustration among conservatives who are watching GOP leadership spend on “safe” candidates while leaving potential pickups in battleground states vulnerable. It’s a tough pill to swallow for Lake supporters, who watched her lose yet another close race by the slimmest of margins.
As the dust settles, many in the GOP base are left wondering why their own leadership ignored Lake’s campaign, practically handing Democrats a minor win in what could have been a clean sweep. For now, Ruben Gallego will head to the Senate, and Republicans are left with the lesson that money—and where you decide to spend it—can be everything in the fight for seats in Washington.
