“Kari Lake’s Mar-a-Lago Fundraiser: A Boost for Arizona Senate Bid”
Kari Lake, the Arizona Senate candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has garnered just over $1 million at a fundraiser held for her campaign at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on Wednesday, as confirmed by two campaign officials to ABC News..
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Kari Lake
This one-night fundraising achievement is significant for Lake, providing a financial boost as she vies for the seat of outgoing Senator Kyrsten Sinema in November.
Expected to become the GOP nominee, Lake is poised to face Democratic Representative Ruben Gallego in a closely-watched contest that could impact the balance of power in the narrowly divided Senate.
Known for her longstanding alliance and unwavering support of Trump, Lake, a former local news anchor with no prior public office experience, has gained attention for her vocal endorsement of Trump’s debunked claims of voter fraud. Her Senate bid follows a narrow loss in the 2022 gubernatorial race to Democrat Katie Hobbs, after which she contested the results and pursued legal avenues to overturn the outcome.
However, as she campaigns for office in 2024, Lake has notably moderated her stance on mail-in voting, a shift from Trump’s opposition following his loss in the 2020 presidential election.
Sources familiar with Wednesday’s fundraiser noted that it sets a new fundraising record at Mar-a-Lago for a non-incumbent Senate candidate. In comparison, an earlier event for Trump-backed candidate Bernie Moreno in Ohio raised $350,000 at Mar-a-Lago earlier this year, according to Axios.
The fundraiser follows a period where Lake trailed financially behind Gallego, who entered the race almost a year ahead of her.
Tickets for the reception were priced at $1,000 per person, as outlined in an invitation obtained by ABC News. Some packages offered at the event cost up to $100,000 per couple, featuring a two-night stay at Mar-a-Lago and a dinner with Lake afterward.
Among the attendees were Adam Kidan, a prominent Republican donor who has contributed to various candidates. Kidan previously donated over $13,000 to Lake’s fundraising committee in November, according to federal election records.
By the end of 2023, Lake had reported raising $2.1 million in the 12 weeks since announcing her candidacy in October, trailing Gallego’s $3.3 million for the quarter.
Earlier this week, Gallego’s campaign disclosed raising $7.5 million in the first quarter of 2024. Lake’s campaign has not yet released its first-quarter fundraising figures.
The Mar-a-Lago fundraiser occurred following another event in Washington, D.C., organized by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which raised $330,000 for Lake, as reported by Politico, after she secured endorsement from chair Steve Daines in February.
