Kari Lake secured endorsements from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and former Texas gubernatorial candidate Chat Prather for her 2024 bid to represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate, with both men endorsing Lake by Monday.
Prather, who railed against establishment Republicans when he unsuccessfully challenged Texas Governor Greg Abbott in the 2022 Republican Primary, endorsed Lake on Sunday according to Lake’s social media, with Prather reportedly saying she “will make a phenomenal senator.”
In her social media post revealing his endorsement, Lake pledged “to never stop fighting for our families by championing America First policies that will revive our economy from the Biden disaster.”
I'm honored to have the endorsement of my friend Chad Prather!
When I get to the U.S. Senate, I promise to never stop fighting for our families by championing America First policies that will revive our economy from the Biden disaster. https://t.co/sOVXTo2g7v pic.twitter.com/eD13yzbKOk
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) October 29, 2023
Lake’s endorsement from Paxton, who Axios described as a rising star after he was acquitted after a high profile impeachment trial in the Texas Senate, came on Monday morning. Paxton reportedly said Lake is “principled and uncompromising in her devotion to the America First agenda and the State of Arizona.”
“As Texas’ top law enforcement officer,” wrote Lake in a post on X, formerly Twitter, “Ken Paxton has a front row seat for the devastating consequences of Biden’s border invasion.” She added that Paxton endorsed her because he knows she will work to secure the border if elected to the U.S. Senate.
I’m honored to have the endorsement of Attorney General @KenPaxtonTX
As Texas’ top law enforcement officer, Ken Paxton has a front row seat for the devastating consequences of Biden’s border invasion
He knows that In the Senate, securing our border will be my priority pic.twitter.com/VmsvOw1azZ
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) October 30, 2023
Lake’s support from two popular Republicans came after she received the endorsement of Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), an establishment-aligned Republican who is also chair of the Senate Republican Conference, on October 17. Barrasso predicted “Lake will shine brightly for Arizona” and called her a “generational communicator” who “is in this race to make Arizona and America stronger.”
Around the same time, it was reported that the powerful National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which raises and distributes funds to some Republican Senate candidates, may aid her campaign. Anonymous sources told The Messenger Lake had “a clear path to victory” and called her “a talented campaigner with an impressive ability to fire up the grassroots.”
One poll released the same day Lake declared her candidacy showed her handily beating both Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) and Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) in a three-way race, and Gallego when polled head-to-head. Another poll, which was backed by Gallego, showed a competitive race between the candidates.
Since then, Gallego has been plagued with a series of accusations and questions about his record Hamas and Israel, and his ongoing association with the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). He also quietly deleted a 2021 statement that condemned Israel for evicting Palestinians and called for a ceasefire with Hamas.
Lake continues to contest the 2022 election results even as she campaigns for U.S. Senate, and on Friday, she filed a bar complaint against the Perkins Coie attorney hired by Governor Katie Hobbs (D) over “false statements” allegedly made after Lake announced her candidacy.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News and a reporter for the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Kari Lake and Texas A.G. Ken Paxton” by Kari Lake.
