Republican Kari Lake draws corporate donations
Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, who has pushed false conspiracies about the 2020 presidential election, has seen a wave of support from corporate leaders in her bid for office.
Lake in the third quarter alone received over a dozen checks, each worth $5,300, from corporate leaders, according to state campaign finance records.
That amount is the maximum an individual can give toward a candidate running for statewide office in Arizona. The third-quarter filing shows Lake’s campaign raised $3.5 million from July 17 through Sept. 30, and had $1.8 million on hand going into October. It was Lake’s best fundraising quarter this year.
Lake is one of at least 20 Republicans running for governor who have either disputed or outright denied the results of the 2020 presidential election that saw President Joe Biden defeat then-President Donald Trump. If she becomes governor, Lake would have the ability to sign or veto legislation related to election procedures.
Corporate leaders have contributed across the country to Republican candidates for state and federal office who have sowed doubts about the 2020 election results — and could have power to influence voting or results if they win.
Lake, a former TV news anchor who is running to replace the term-limited Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, is running a competitive race against Arizona’s Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. The Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up. Lake leads Hobbs by about 1 percentage point in an average of polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight.
Lake is endorsed by Trump, who spread false conspiracies that he lost that 2020 election because of widespread voter fraud. He helped to fuel the wave of GOP candidates who have run for office while casting doubts on the 2020 results. Dozens of lawsuits from the Trump campaign failed to show evidence of voter fraud or overturn results in swing states.
Ducey certified Arizona’s 2020 election results. During the GOP primary for his seat, he ripped Lake in a July interview with CNN, saying she is “misleading voters with no evidence.” After Lake won the nomination a month later, Ducey — the co-chair of the Republican Governors Association, a group that aims to elect GOP candidates for governor — congratulated her on her victory and said the group was running ads in support of her.
Hobbs, as the state’s top election official, has denied any irregularities in the 2020 election.
Underscoring the importance of the Arizona contest, both parties have piled money into the swing-state governor’s race. It has seen at least $30 million in ad spending, making it one of the most expensive gubernatorial contests this cycle, according to data from AdImpact. Election Day is on Nov. 8.
Wealthy leaders of companies based both in Arizona and around the country boosted Lake’s bid in the third quarter.
George Ryan, the CEO and chairman of tax consulting firm Ryan LLC, donated $5,300 in September to Lake’s campaign, records show. Leo…