OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake got a massive boost in her campaign for the U.S. Senate this week that should help her pick up additional voters who may have been on the fence about her.
Former Arizona GOP Gov. Doug Ducey has endorsed Donald Trump, signaling a notable shift despite their previous disagreements, and has also endorsed Senate GOP nominee Kari Lake, who will be challenging Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego in the November 5th general election.
In a series of posts on X, Ducey stated, “I will be voting for Republicans up & down the ballot in November – and both Donald Trump and Kari Lake have my endorsement.” He emphasized that, despite any past differences, the stakes in this election are too high to do otherwise. Having a Republican in the White House, along with a GOP majority in both the House and Senate, is essential, he added.
Ducey cited concerns over inflation, border security, and foreign policy as key reasons for his support. He also highlighted the importance of school choice, tax cuts, and protecting the Supreme Court as pivotal issues in this election.
Lake, a former Phoenix-area newscaster, expressed her appreciation for Ducey’s support, praising his accomplishments as governor and for his work in transforming Arizona’s economy and education system. In a statement, Lake said, “Doug Ducey supports me because he knows it’s never been more important to unite all Arizonans and win big in November. Thank you, Governor!”
During a campaign event on Thursday, Lake criticized Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as dangers to border security. She was joined by a woman who said she was a former Democrat and is now supporting the Republicans.
Jade Gillon shared her experience and her reasons for switching to the Republicans when she joined Lake on stage.
“My name is Jade. I am a former Democrat. Unlike Kamala Harris, I’m an actual real-life black woman. I’m a former Democrat who is currently registered Republican,” the former Democrat said. “I’m tired of the Democrats using the generational trauma of my people to garner votes. They invoke fear, they tell me I’m oppressed, they tell me I’m less than, they tell me I’m not good enough, and they tell me that my white brothers and sisters in Christ are my enemy. They are not.”
“The enemy is telling me that, don’t worry that I can’t pay my bills and I’m working six days a week this week and I’m tired. And I went to school and I have a career. I’m doing worse under this administration than in Donald Trump’s administration, but I’m told to be afraid of a man who made my life better?” she said.
“How does that work? Make it make sense,” she said. “During COVID, I knew more of my white guy friends that lost their jobs than me and my black girlfriends. We are the same in this country. All these Americans want the same thing.”
“We want safety. We want prosperity. We want peace. And the Democrats keep going back and look, check it out, right? I honor my ancestors and the people who fought for us to be in this room here today. No one is discounting what my people went through,” the woman said.
“I don’t owe the Democrats anything. They owe me. They’re to serve us. They’re public servants. Stop putting them on a pedestal,” she said.
Lake secured the Republican nomination for Senate with a resounding victory last week. In July, polling showed that she had taken the lead in a survey over Gallego.
Lake, who ran for governor of Arizona in 2022 with President Trump’s endorsement, is now showing a slight lead over Gallego of two percent, according to an analysis by The Hill. Early polls had favored the Democrat, but Lake has been consistently emphasizing the issue of immigration, attributing the surge of migrants at Arizona’s southern border to Gallego’s support of Biden’s policies.
