Republican Nominee for Governor, Arizona
By Rebecca J. Horvath, Tennessee
Kari Lake is a political outsider who is also a household name to Arizona voters: she spent almost 30 years in their living rooms as a popular, Emmy Award-winning news anchor. Now, she’s working to become their governor.
Kari grew up in working class Iowa, the youngest of nine siblings raised in a home so rural that it didn’t even have a house number. She found her escape hatch in education, working as a janitor to pay her way through the University of Iowa.
Armed with a degree in journalism, she landed in Arizona and fell in love with the Grand Canyon State. Working in the media provided Kari a unique opportunity to get to know the people and places of her new home state, building trust and friendships along the way.
Kari left her TV job in early 2021 after the Covid-19 pandemic laid bare many of the problems plaguing the media. She noticed most outlets stoked the fires of fear and division, and she didn’t want to be part of it any longer. Many folks urged her to run for office and -- seeing a chance to restore quality of life across the state -- she decided to throw her hat in the ring.
The Arizona governor’s race is among the best-known and most high-stakes in the country, in part because Arizona has become a bit of a purple question mark. In the last three decades, a Republican governor has been in office for all but six years, but both current U.S. Senators are Democrats, tipping Arizona into swing state territory.
In a campaign video, Kari says, “Arizona needs bold leadership,” and as a common sense conservative, she promises to deliver it. The pandemic shined a light on the urgent need to protect individual liberties and limit regulations, two of her key concerns. She’s pledged to lower taxes, secure elections, and securing the border - a vitally important issue in her state. As a mom of two, she’s also passionate about improving education; she has an ambitious plan for the state that ranks 39th in the country in classroom success.
A member of the Greater Phoenix Republican Women, Kari’s endorsements include fellow Federated Republican Woman and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, Mayor Rudy Guiliani, General Michael Flynn, and - most famously - President Donald Trump. On Election Day, she’ll face off against current Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in a race expected to be extremely close.
Just this week, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard - who recently announced her break from the Democrat Party - endorsed Kari and summed up her broad appeal succinctly, tweeting, "Kari Lake is a leader who puts people first, fighting for border security, energy independence, public safety, and other policies that actually make life better and more affordable for the American people.”
With her trademark energy, vision, and drive, Kari is ready to hit the ground running to make Arizona a better place to live, work, and raise a family.
Learn more about Kari's campaign at www.karilake.com.