For the first time during the current election cycle, former newscaster and GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake has taken the lead in a new survey over her likely Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Ruben 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 President Joe Biden’s policies. The strategy appears to resonate with some voters in a state that showed mixed political leanings in recent presidential elections, narrowly swinging from a Trump win in 2016 to a Biden win by a slim margin in 2020.
In the race for a Senate seat in Arizona, the impact of issues like migration and the high cost of living has significantly influenced voter sentiment, diminishing Gallego’s typical advantage of incumbency. Despite his congressional experience, these pressing local issues have left many Arizonans disillusioned.