With only two weeks before the midterm elections, Lake has found herself in a tight race against Arizona’s Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, in a state narrowly won by President Joe Biden in 2020. Lake has risen to national prominence as the race to replace outgoing GOP Governor Doug Ducey is one of the most hotly contested across the country.
Lake, a former local news anchor, is seen as one of the GOP’s rising stars in a key swing state and has been named as a possible contender for the Republican Party’s vice presidential nominee in 2024, when the party will aim to retake control of the White House.
During her appearance on Fox News, Lake dismissed the speculation and said the press is raising speculation about her possible vice presidential bid to sow fear among Arizona voters.
“I think they’re trying to scare the voters. I really do. They’ve tried everything to bring us down,” she said, who promised to finish her term as the state’s governor if elected.
“I’m going to be here not just four years—I’m going to be here eight years,” Lake added. “And I’m going to be the fake news’ worst nightmare for eight years. So they better get used to it.”
Lake is banking on strong support from conservatives to carry her to victory on November 8. Even though Arizona has backed Democrats in recent elections, Lake aligned herself to the policies and legacy of former President Donald Trump and has backed his unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Trump has campaigned for Lake and endorsed her in the GOP primary, boosting her bid against Mike Pence-backed candidate Karrin Taylor Robson.
Kari Lakes’ Chances of Winning in Arizona: Polls
Arizona’s gubernatorial race is seen as a tossup, though Lake has built a narrow lead in recent polls. FiveThirtyEight’s aggregate of recent polling shows Lake with a single-point lead against Hobbs.
A co/efficient poll of 1,111 likely voters from October 20 to 21 found Lake with a 4-point lead against her opponent. The poll found 49 percent of respondents planning to vote for Lake, while 45 percent said they would vote for Hobbs. The poll has a margin of error of 3.09 percentage points.
Lake has sought to tie Hobbs to Biden, whose approval rating staggered in recent months amid economic concerns such as high inflation and rising gas prices. Meanwhile, Lake has faced scrutiny over holding anti-abortion positions after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in late June.
While the gubernatorial race is essentially tied, Democratic Senator Mark Kelly is seen as a favorite in Arizona’s Senate race where he faces Republican Blake Masters—another a Trump-backed candidate.
Newsweek reached out to Lake’s campaign for comment.
