Sen. Tom Cotton Endorses Kari Lake, ‘The Fighter Arizona Needs’

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) endorsed Kari Lake to represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate on Monday, stating the former newswoman and gubernatorial candidate “will stand up to the Biden agenda and put Arizonans first” if elected.

Lake wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that she was grateful for Cotton’s endorsement, calling him “a conservative warrior in the Senate.” Lake wrote that she looks “forward to working with Senator Cotton to secure the border” in a future Republican Senate majority.

In a subsequent post to X, Cotton wrote that Lake “will fight to secure the border, lower inflation, and crack down on crime,” calling her “the fighter Arizona needs.”

Cotton’s endorsement is the second Lake has received from a sitting senator, following the October endorsement from Senator John Barrasso (R-WY). Also the chair of the Senate Republican Conference, Barrasso’s endorsement highlighted contemporary reports the influential National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) may support Lake’s campaign.

Polling commissioned by the NRSC in November, which showed Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) attracting enough independent and Republican voters from Lake to propel Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) to victory in a hypothetical three-way contest, reportedly prompted Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to stand and vehemently urge his colleagues to support Lake.

After that meeting, Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) called Lake one of the “most talented politicians” running for office in the Republican Party, and predicted she “will be the nominee” in 2024. Daines stopped short of endorsing Lake, but predicted she could win the general election if she continues to focus on “issues independent voters care most about,” namely the prices of gas and groceries, the immigration crisis, and rising crime in cities.

The NRSC unveiled a new Arizona ad campaign around this time which labeled Gallego a “deadbeat dad” and Sinema a “liberal Democrat” before the narrator declared, “Arizonans deserve a better choice.”

Though Lake is reportedly seeking to make inroads with moderate Republicans, she was also endorsed by former President Donald Trump on the day she announced, and received early endorsements from Texas conservatives Chad Prather and Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Polling conducted in November showed Lake as the early favorite to secure the Republican nomination in Arizona. Lake boasted a 26-point lead over her nearest rival Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb (R), with pollsters reporting Lake had the support of 40 percent of Arizona Republicans, and Lamb (R) in second place with 14 percent of support.

Polls forecast a competitive race between Lake and Gallego. All polling has shown Sinema will lose if she seeks reelection, but she has floated an unlikely campaign strategy that would seek to form a winning coalition from disaffected conservative and independent voters.

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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photos “Sen Tom Cotton” and “Kari Lake” by Kari Lake.

 

 

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