PHOENIX — Kari Lake has filed paperwork to run for US Senate, according to an FEC filing.
Lake filed a "Statement of Organization" Monday which now allows her to fundraise and campaign ahead of the 2024 election.
Lake, a Republican, enters the race as the front-runner for the GOP nomination.
Caroline Wren, a senior adviser to Lake, confirmed recently that Lake will officially open her campaign with an Oct. 10 rally.
A former television anchor, Lake built an enthusiastic following among Republicans with her unflinching support for Trump and her steadfast promotion of false claims of election fraud.
The Arizona race is a top target for Republicans looking to regain the Senate, where Democrats hold a 51-49 edge that includes Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in 2022 but still receives her committees assignments from Democrats. The 2024 Senate map heavily favors the GOP, with Democratic-held seats up for grabs in three states that Trump won in 2020.
Courts have repeatedly rejected Lake's lawsuits challenging last year's election results. The litigation has juiced Lake's fundraising but not advanced her false claim to be the “duly elected governor” of Arizona, rather than Democrat Katie Hobbs.
Lake joins Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in the Republican Senate primary. Several other Republicans have considered running but have stayed out of the race while Lake considered her plans.
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, an Iraq War veteran and one of the most prominent Latino officials in Arizona, is the only major Democrat in the race.
