TL/DR –
In an online forum, US Senate candidates Mark Lamb and Kari Lake clashed over election integrity and their respective qualifications. Lamb accused Lake of surrendering to the establishment, while Lake, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, called Lamb a “total coward” on ensuring election integrity. Both candidates are running for the chance to replace retiring Senator Kyrsten Sinema with the key issues being border security, crime, economy, and national security.
2024 Arizona Senate Candidates Lamb and Lake Clash During Online Forum
U.S. Senate candidate Mark Lamb accused his GOP rival Kari Lake of “surrendering to the establishment”, while Lake countered, branding him a “total coward” on election integrity during an online forum, the closest to a debate they’ve had in eight months.
Former television newscaster and GOP front-runner Lake, largely dismissed Lamb’s comments, focusing instead on her endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
Lake then criticized Pinal County sheriff Lamb, claiming, “I have fought for election integrity… Sheriffs have the ability to fight, and the sheriff of Pinal County cowered. He’s a total coward when it comes to election integrity.”
Lamb highlighted his experience, questioning, “The stakes are too high. If you were hiring somebody to run your company, … would you put somebody in there that really had no experience in any of this?”
The forum was presented by AMAC Action, the political division of the Association of Mature American Citizens, providing Republicans with an opportunity to explore their options in a race where Lamb has rarely attacked Lake and she has been focusing on the general election.
Both Republicans are vying to replace retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is the only Democrat on the ballot.
Lake reiterated her Trump endorsement and her America-first priorities, while Lamb presented himself as an experienced candidate who has proven his ability to take action as sheriff.
By the end of the forum, Lake expressed her intention to cut the federal budget by half, pledging to protect Social Security by reducing other expenses, stating, “I think we can slash the federal government by 50%.”
Lamb responded to Lake’s claims, stating, “I know Kari says she’s a fighter… It’s easy to talk about it if you’ve never served. I’ve actually had to make those hard decisions,” referring to his resistance to COVID-19 lockdowns and mask mandates.
Lake retorted by calling him a coward, leading Lamb to comment, “I think I might have touched a nerve there.”
Lamb then criticized Lake for not addressing election problems until after she lost the 2022 gubernatorial election, while he sought evidence of widespread fraud in his county.
Lake has refused to participate in a debate hosted by the nonpartisan Clean Elections Commission. She has indicated a willingness to debate Lamb if hosted by the Arizona Republican Party, but the party has confirmed no such plans.
Lamb alleged without proof that he is “only down a few points.” Recent polls since February indicate Lake leading Lamb by at least 25 percentage points. In a general election poll featuring Lamb, he lagged behind Gallego in October by 4 percentage points.
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