Kari Lake's second bid for political office is facing multiple hurdles related to her conduct after losing a 2022 run for governor of Arizona including a belief by some key Republicans in the state that she can't be trusted.
The former TV personality, who appears slated to be the Republican nominee for the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), is facing skeptical conservatives, and is reportedly attempting to "mend fences" with Arizona GOP leaders but is not meeting with overwhelming success so far, reports the New York Times.
The controversial Lake, who has closely aligned herself with the equally controversial Donald Trump, is working diligently to woo the "McCain Republicans" she maligned in her previous campaign while still dealing with the fallout among conservatives after she secretly recorded and then released a conversation she had with Jeff DeWit, the chairman of the Arizona Republican Party.
In the recording, DeWit appeared to offer her a bribe to keep her from running for the Senate seat -- which she rejected. That not only led to his resignation but also alienated his allies, many of whom Lake needs for her latest endeavor.
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"Mr. DeWit resigned shortly after the recording surfaced, and Ms. Lake framed the episode as an example of her independence," the Times is reporting. "Some members of the state party reacted with anger, expressing worry about other private conversations Ms. Lake might have recorded. Ms. Lake was greeted with boos at a meeting to elect a new chair."
According to the report, key Republicans in the state now wonder if she has been secretly recording them also.
Jeanne Kentch, the chair of the Mohave County Republican Party, told the Times, "Is it really the way we should all be behaving, even as Republicans? To tape-record somebody that trusts you?" before adding, "I love Kari, don’t get me wrong. But I think that’s what people are concerned about.”
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Conservative donor Sharon Harper, chief executive of the real estate firm Plaza Companies, is one Sen. John McCain fan who has no intention of giving Lake a second chance.
“I think people understand who Kari Lake is,” she explained. “We’ve seen what she has demonstrated, and I don’t think an opinion changes if someone says, ‘I didn’t really mean what I said.’”
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