Attempting to straddle two worlds, former television personality Kari Lake is not finding gaining the trust of Arizona's Republican voters an easy task having alienated many conservatives when she ran for governor and chasing away some supporters she needs as she now runs for the U.S. Senate.
According to a report from the New York Times, Lake has been trying to make amends with the so-called "McCain Republicans" she disparaged in her losing 2022 run while also still insisting that her bid for governor was beset with election tampering.
Now seeking the seat held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Lake is trying to hang onto Donald Trump's MAGA voters while also drawing in mainstream Republicans who are wary of her after her 2022 — and afterwards — antics.
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As the report notes, despite being the leading contender for the GOP nomination, Lake is suffering from high unfavorable numbers among voters across the board.
"In a poll last month from Noble Predictive Insights, 27 percent of Republicans said they had a negative view of Ms. Lake, more than double the share of Democrats who said the same about [Democratic Rep. Rueben] Gallego. Among all Arizona voters, 49 percent had a negative opinion about Ms. Lake compared with 40 percent who viewed her positively," the Times is reporting.
One former prominent supporter has moved on and is backing GOP opponent Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb who is trailing badly.
Dan Farley, the president of the Arizona Tea Party explained, “Kari Lake is making a lot of rookie mistakes, and you just don’t know what you’re going to get with her or where she’s going to land. She’s a powerful force but kind of like a bazooka lacking aim. She’s blowing up her own garage instead of enemies in the driveway.”
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Former Trump delegate Jeff Fleetham, who is also supporting Lamb, was more to the point, telling the Times, "She seems to just want the limelight. She can’t be trusted in anything she says or does.”
Former Rep. Matt Salmon (R), who challenged her for the gubernatorial nomination in 2022, is keeping his distance.
“There’s nothing authentic about her,” Salmon admitted. “She touts her endorsements, but two years ago she would have criticized anyone with those same endorsements and declared them swamp creatures.”
One Lake rallygoer, Julee Miller, 47, of North Phoenix, had some advice for Lake who is still complaining that she was robbed in 2022.
“It alienates a lot of people,” she stated. “It’d be nice if she tries to tone down a little bit, compromise here or there.”
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