Kari Lake, the Republican Senate candidate in Arizona, has increased her fundraising efforts in the first quarter of 2024, although she remains financially behind her likely Democratic opponent, Representative Ruben Gallego.
Lake’s campaign announced on Monday that it had raised $4.1 million in the first three months of the year, marking a substantial increase from the $2.1 million collected in the final quarter of 2023. At the end of this period, her campaign reported $2.5 million cash on hand.
Ruben Gallego (Credits: NBC News)
Lake, who has garnered support from former President Donald Trump, numerous Senate Republicans, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has solidified her backing within the GOP.
According to Axios, which first reported the fundraising figures, approximately 40,000 donations were made to her campaign by nearly 22,000 donors. 99 percent of these donations were under $200, and 56 percent came from first-time contributors to any Lake-related campaign entity.
Despite the uptick in fundraising, Lake trails behind Gallego, who raised $7.5 million in the first quarter and has $9.6 million cash on hand. Lake’s campaign remains optimistic about her prospects, emphasizing her strong grassroots support and asserting that Gallego’s political stance is out of alignment with Arizona voters.
US Republican Kari Lake (Credits: NBC News)
The Senate race in Arizona, expected to be one of the nation’s most fiercely contested, is crucial for determining which party will control the Senate following the 2024 elections.
Incumbent Senator Kyrsten Sinema has opted not to seek reelection. Current polling shows a tight race between Lake and Gallego, with Gallego holding a slight edge in some polls while others favor Lake.
