Kari Lake’s Fundraising Doubles to Over $4 Million in First Quarter

Kari Lake visits Des Moines, Iowa., on Jan. 13, 2024. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Kari Lake, running for an Arizona Senate seat in the 2024 elections, has raised more than $4 million in Q1 2024, double what she racked up in the previous quarter.

“I’m so excited to announce that our campaign has raised $4.1 million to start 2024. The grassroots enthusiasm that’s powering our campaign warms my heart. We will defeat radical Ruben and we will save Arizona,” Ms. Lake said, referring to her Democrat rival Rep. Ruben Gallego, in an April 15 post on social media platform X. According to data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Ms. Lake raised over $2.1 million during Q4, 2023. She officially launched her Senate campaign on Oct. 10.

Out of the $2.1 million, more than $932,000 were donations of $200 or less, suggesting strong grassroots support for the GOP candidate. Arizonans contributed the most to her campaign, followed by supporters from Florida, Texas, California, Ohio, Colorado, and New York.

Ms. Lake also raised a “record-shattering” $1 million at a Mar-A-Lago fundraiser held on April 3, her campaign team said. The fundraiser featured former President Donald Trump and set a record for “the most fundraised at Mar-A-Lago by a non-incumbent Senate candidate.” This amount is set to be reflected in Ms. Lake’s second-quarter fundraiser numbers.

“We were honored by the support we received from Arizonans who joined us at our historic event at Mar-A-Lago last night, as well as the strong support from patriots across the nation who know that the Senate majority runs through Arizona and don’t want to see a Far-Left socialist like Ruben Gallego in the U.S. Senate,” Ms. Lake’s campaign said following the event.

“Arizonans want to see Senator Kari Lake because they know that she will work to secure the border and get our economy back on track.”

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Even though Ms. Lake almost doubled her fundraising in Q1, 2024, that figure was beaten by her opponent Mr. Gallego who raised more than $7.5 million during the Jan-March quarter from over 180,000 donations.

While launching her Senate campaign on Oct. 10, Ms. Lake criticized the Biden administration for a host of issues, including inflation, lax border policies, and the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel.

“Joe Biden has us on a fast track to total destruction and I don’t know about you but I’m really [sic] to put him on an Amtrak back to Delaware. The whole world’s tired of Joe,” she told the crowd. “Our border is wide open here in Arizona, we know it because we’re feeling it here in Arizona.”

“There is an absolute invasion in our country with millions of people pouring in, tons of deadly drugs pouring into this country, and now we’re seeing what that can mean, we’re seeing the horror playing out, and what’s transpired in Israel over the past few days, absolutely barbaric attacks on innocence,” Ms. Lake said.

Ms. Lake’s Endorsements

Ms. Lake has been endorsed by multiple Republicans, including President Trump who backed the candidate during her campaign launch.

“When I’m back in the White House, I'll need strong fighters like Kari for the Senate. She’s a fighter, she’s strong, and she’s got a great heart,” he said at the time. “Republicans must win, and we must win very big. It’s much harder for them to cheat if we do as we should. You get enough votes, and they can’t cheat that badly.”

Other Republicans who are backing Ms. Lake for her Senate run include Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the chair of the Senate Republican Conference, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).

“Kari Lake will go to DC to shake things up, and that’s exactly the kind of leadership that Arizona needs in the United States Senate,” Mr. Paul said in a statement.

“Kari Lake is MAGA to her core and cannot be bought by the establishment. I am proud to endorse her for the United States Senate in Arizona. I am very much looking forward to watching her shake up the halls of power,” Mr. Gaetz said in his endorsement message.

Ms. Lake also received an official endorsement from the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm in February.

She will be running for the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.). Ms. Sinema announced last month that she does not intend to seek reelection. This narrowed the match down to major candidates Ms. Lake and Mr. Gallego.

Polls on the race have been mixed. A recent survey conducted by the Independent Center found that voters were tied between the candidates, with Ms. Lake and Mr. Gallego both receiving 41 percent votes each.

An April 1 poll by RABA Research showed Mr. Gallego garnering support from 36 percent of voters with an eight-point lead over Ms. Lake’s 28 percent support.

However, 23 percent of respondents in the poll said they were “not sure” who they would vote for. The candidate who can flip these indecisive voters will have a major advantage in the Senate run.