Kari Lake to decide on Senate bid ‘likely’ in October

Republican Kari Lake is “likely to make a final decision in October” on a potential Senate bid in Arizona, Lake senior adviser Caroline Wren told The Hill. 

Lake, who narrowly lost the Arizona governor’s race to Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) last year, is considering a run for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-Ariz.) seat in 2024. Sinema has not said whether she’ll run for reelection, while Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb (R) and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) have both announced runs for the seat.

Former Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters (R) was reportedly preparing for another run in the Grand Canyon State, though he has yet to officially announce. 

Axios reported in August that there was an anticipated October launch for Lake. Politico reported Wednesday, citing three people familiar with her plans, that she could roll out her bid as early as October. 

“Ruben Gallego and Kyrsten Sinema are rubber stamps for Joe Biden and his radical agenda. It’s time Arizona has a true conservative fighter in the U.S. Senate. The people of Arizona want Kari Lake to stay in this fight and are calling on her to run and she’s very likely to answer that call,” Wren told The Hill. 

Arizona is seen as a potential pickup opportunity for Republicans, who enjoy a better Senate map than Democrats this cycle, with Democrats defending more seats than the GOP. Republicans in the state expect Lake to be the GOP nominee if she launches a bid, though a potential three-way race in the state would be unpredictable.