EXCLUSIVE — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) endorsed Republican candidate Kari Lake, giving the Republican candidate a boost as she seeks to flip control of one of the Senate seats in the swing state of Arizona.
Blackburn lauded Lake’s campaign platform on the economy and immigration, praising her as a “conservative fighter” who is needed in the Senate. Blackburn’s support is the latest in a string of endorsements from sitting senators, giving Lake a crucial boost as she faces a tight race in November.
“Joe Biden and Senate Democrats have destroyed our economy, made our streets less safe, and allowed an invasion at our southern border,” Blackburn said in a statement. “We need conservative fighters like Kari Lake in the United States Senate, who will bring back a strong economy, cut taxes, stem the constant flow of illegal immigrants, and secure our southern border. I am thrilled to endorse her campaign to be the next Senator from Arizona.”
The Senate race in Arizona could be one of Republicans’ best opportunities to seize control of the upper chamber next year. The race is deemed to be a toss-up, with Lake and candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) virtually tied in recent polls.
Blackburn’s endorsement makes her the latest GOP senator to back her campaign following Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY), Steve Daines (R-MT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), J.D. Vance (R-OH), and Rand Paul (R-KY).
“Marsha Blackburn has been a conservative champion for decades. I’m excited to have her endorsement for Senate in Arizona,” Lake said in a statement. “I look forward to working with Sen. Blackburn to put American families and American security first.”
Recent polling shows Lake leading Gallego by 1 point in a head-to-head race, 46% to 45%, according to a survey conducted by Public Policy PollingEditSign.
The race shifts slightly if incumbent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) enters the fray. The RealClearPolitics average of public polling shows Gallego ahead by 4.5 points in a three-way matchup with Lake and Sinema. Sinema has not yet announced whether she plans to run for reelection.
Lake’s allies have also pointed to former President Donald Trump’s polling in Arizona against President Joe Biden as a good sign for her campaign. Lake has closely aligned herself with the former president, and Trump has endorsed her candidacy.
Lake also benefits from the support of the main Senate GOP campaign arm, which endorsed her campaign earlier this month. That could give her a major boost in fundraising in the case of a head-to-head matchup with Gallego, who has not garnered an endorsement from any sitting Democratic senator so far in the cycle.
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There are 34 Senate seats up for grabs in the 2024 election cycle. Of these, Democrats must defend 23, compared to just 11 for Republicans — and nearly all competitive seats are held by Democrats, putting them on the defensive as they try to maintain their slim majority.
Democrats hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate, with the advantage of having Vice President Kamala Harris as a tiebreaker vote if needed. As a result, Republicans only need to flip one Senate seat to win the majority should they win back the White House in 2024. If they don’t regain the Oval Office, the party needs to secure two extra Senate seats.
