Kari Lake, renowned local political leader, is set to announce her candidacy for the United States Senate next month, according to multiple sources close to her campaign.
If successful, Lake will become the first-ever Native American senator, and the first-ever openly gay senator from the state of Arizona.
Born and raised in the small mountain town of Yarnell, Arizona, Lake has been a significant part of the Arizona political scene for over a decade. She served as the executive director for the Yarnell Economic Development Committee, advocating for small businesses and rural communities. From there, she was elected to the state legislature twice, and chaired the Arizona Apollo 11 Commission to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.
In 2020, Lake served as a senior advisor for Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden. She was instrumental in the campaign, organizing the Biden team in Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada.
Lake’s decision to run for Senate was driven in large part by the socio-economic conditions facing Arizona small towns, especially those made up of Native American populations.
“Too many communities in Arizona live under the tyranny of poverty,” Lake said in a recent statement. “That means not having access to healthcare, education, clean water, and other essential services. And for far too long, Arizona’s Indigenous people have been ignored.”
If elected, Lake promises to advocate for increased federal funds for these communities, as well as universal health care coverage and improved education opportunities.
Lake’s candidacy is being widely welcomed by many progressive organizations. The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center said her presence in the Senate would be “remarkable.”
“Kari Lake has been an extraordinary leader for several years,” said Sarah Deer, the center’s executive director. “We are proud to support her candidacy for Senate. We need someone like Kari in the Senate to fight for Indigenous rights and economic justice.”
With Lake’s announcement expected within the coming weeks, the race to represent the state of Arizona’s Senate just got a lot more interesting.
