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Kari Lake speaks at Republican National Convention

In Arizona, Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Kari Lake is widely expected to win the state’s GOP primary at the end of July.

On Tuesday night, she was one of several swing-state Senate candidates who spoke during an hour-long block of the Republican National Convention.

Lake’s speech never strayed from her usual talking points: attacking the “fake news” media, pillorying her political rival — Rep. Ruben Gallego, the presumptive Democratic nominee for the Senate seat — as a carbon copy of President Joe Biden, while also describing herself as a “mama bear” who will fight for Arizona’s children and families in Washington, D.C.

“Actually, I can think of one thing more dangerous than a grizzly bear,” Lake said, “and it’s a middle-aged fed up mother in D.C.," Lake said.

“And I haven’t even started my hot flashes yet, guys, just wait.”

Lake, who still denies her 2022 gubernatorial loss to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, also touched on the overarching themes of the evening, crime and public safety, by highlighting drugs being smuggled across Arizona’s southern border.

"We are losing a generation of young people to this fentanyl crisis and it’s got to stop. The Grand Canyon State has become the fentanyl state, and it’s not ok with this mom,” Lake said. “I’m not OK with that.”

Lake ended her speech with a message of unity, claiming that the media is attempting to divide Americans.

“The fake news wants us to believe we’re 50/50 at each other’s throats,” Lake said. “They’re creating division and anger. Americans are actually much more united than people believe.”

Lake is an avid supporter of former President Donald Trump, and gained his endorsement.

The Arizona flag flies outside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee at the Republican National Convention on Monday, July 15, 2024.
Keetra Bippus/Cronkite News
The Arizona flag flies outside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee at the Republican National Convention on Monday, July 15, 2024.
More election news

Camryn Sanchez is a field correspondent at KJZZ covering everything to do with state politics.
Ben Giles is a senior editor at KJZZ.