Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for the Arizona Senate, has thrown shade at a recent polling analysis from Decision Desk HQ and The Hill, claiming it relies on “absurd partisan polls.” This comes after the report indicated her Democratic opponent, Representative Ruben Gallego, holds a nearly six-point lead.
In a Sunday chat with NewsNation’s Chris Stirewalt, Lake asserted that her own internal polling shows her in the lead. The Senate seat, currently held by Kyrsten Sinema—who was initially elected as a Democrat but is now an independent—will be vacated as she opts out of seeking reelection this year.
With 46 Democratic Senators and four more who caucus with them, the Democrats maintain a slim majority in the Senate. Republicans are gearing up for the November elections, targeting Sinema’s old seat as crucial for regaining control after a disappointing midterm performance in 2022.
In the interview, Lake was questioned about a poll showing Gallego ahead by 5.6 points, with him at 47.6% and her at 42%. She insisted, “There were a couple of really bad outlier polls that were included in that,” emphasizing the unreliability of the data presented.
Lake is confident, stating, “We are the third-best chance for a pickup seat in these closely contested races,” and downplayed Gallego, labeling him as “an absolute dud” and criticizing his alignment with President Biden and Vice President Harris.
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Another poll conducted by Sina College for The New York Times earlier this month found Gallego with a nine-point advantage, boasting 51% compared to Lake’s 42%. The upcoming televised debate on October 9, organized by the Arizona Clean Elections Commission, will be crucial, with Lake confirming her participation after initially hesitating.
Lake previously lost the Arizona gubernatorial race to Democrat Katie Hobbs in November 2022, where she claimed the result was rigged. However, her court challenges to contest the outcome were consistently dismissed.