Phoenix, AZ – It was clear that Kari Lake won the Arizona Senate Debate last night. She was able to effectively lay out her policy platform and simultaneously expose Ruben Gallego’s insanely radical record.
HERE’S WHAT’S BEING SAID:
– President Donald J. Trump: “The Trump-endorsed Senate Candidate in Arizona, Kari Lake, crushed her Liberal Democrat Opponent last night, Radical Ruben Gallego. Kari will help me Secure our Border, Stop Inflation, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! In-person and absentee voting has now started in Arizona, so get out and VOTE today!”
– Associated Press: “Lake’s comfort and polish in front of the camera stood in contrast to Gallego, a military veteran who occasionally tripped on his words.” (READ)
– AZ Central: Kari Lake vs Ruben Gallego: 5 takeaways from the big US Senate debate
- “Wednesday’s debate was likely Lake’s best night since she formally entered the race a year ago with a videotaped endorsement from former President Donald Trump.”
- “It was no trivial matter that U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who chairs the Republican conference in the Senate and is one of the top members of party leadership, was on hand for Lake’s debate.”
- It was a good night for her, but that means there is likely no upside to Gallego doing another one.”
– Political Consultant and “Republican For Ruben” Chuck Coughlin Admits Lake Dominated the Debate:
- “[Kari Lake] has a skill set… she’s extraordinarily good.” (WATCH)
- Someone on Ruben’s campaign “failed to negotiate the mic cut.” (WATCH)
- “Ruben was caught off guard. He sounded a little nervous to me.” (WATCH)
– Even one of the AZ Central’s most anti-Lake columnists, Laurie Roberts, had to acknowledge that Lake had a “polished performance” at the debate.
– Arizona Globe: Lake Crushes Gallego in First Debate; Challenges Gallego to a second debate amid widespread applause
- “While Lake repeatedly called for debates to discuss critical issues facing Arizona, Gallego has been notably reluctant to engage. As a result, Lake has positioned herself as the more responsive of the two, while Gallego maintains a low profile. Lake hasn’t limited herself to debates—she’s blitzing the state, holding press conferences, and actively engaging with the public, while Gallego has largely avoided the spotlight.”
- “A Senior Advisor to Lake told the Arizona Globe, “The first thing Kari said to me after stepping off the debate stage was, ‘I want to do that again.’”
– National Pulse: Kari Lake Handily Defeated Ruben Gallego in Arizona’s Senate TV Debate.
- “Over the course of an hour, he reverted to his monotonous hum of pro-abortion and anti-federalism talking points while failing to land any successful blows on Lake.”
- “In refusing to take his bait and pivoting, Lake proved herself a far handier candidate on stage”
- “The discussion predominantly revolved around immigration and the economy, with Lake pointing out Gallego’s record as an open-borders extremist.”
- “Kari Lake won by an extremely wide margin.”
– Breitbart News: ‘Extreme Makeover’: GOP’s Kari Lake Shreds Democrat Gallego for Disguising Far-Left Record
- “Republican Kari Lake blasted Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) during Arizona’s U.S. Senate debate for trying to “reinvent himself” in a moderate light in hopes of winning the state.”
- “Lake likened Gallego’s flip-flopping to an “extreme makeover” in her opening statement and called him out throughout the debate for waffling on key issues, including his support for a southern border wall after being an ardent critic of Trump’s efforts to build one.”
- “Lake brought receipts to show Gallego’s flip-flopping on the border after he claimed Wednesday that he believes “a border wall is important” to a border security package.”
– Breitbart News: GOP’s Kari Lake Stomps Democrat Ruben Gallego for Flip Flopping on Border Wall
- “Arizona Republican Kari Lake slammed Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) for flip-flopping on the border wall at Wednesday night’s U.S. Senate debate in the Grand Canyon State.”
- “While Gallego attempted to portray himself and his record as moderate, Lake brought receipts exposing his disdain for the Trump border wall when the former president was commander-in-chief.”
– U.S. Senator and Chair of the Senate Republican Conference John Barrasso (R-WY): “Kari Lake showing tonight exactly why she’s ready to lead. Laser focused on what matters to voters in AZ – high prices and dangerous illegal immigration.”
– Trump Campaign Senior Advisor Jason Miller: “Kari Lake just delivered the greatest Senate debate performance I’ve ever witnessed in a thrashing of Ruben Gallego. Kari detailed working w/ President Donald Trump to secure the border & fix our economy, pressing Gallego to explain his 100% voting record w/ Kamala Harris.”
– President of the Center For Arizona Policy Cathi Herod: “We are seeing why Katie Hobbs would not debate Kari Lake in 2022.”
– Ambassador Richard Grenell:
- “Yikes. Ruben Gallego is stuttering and nervous – he keeps shutting his eyes while speaking. I’ve never seen a politician so bad at public speaking.” (READ)
- “Kari Lake is calmly crushing Ruben Gallego. He’s so bad at presenting a clear thought.” (READ)
– NRSC Communications Director Mike Berg: “Kari Lake is crushing Ruben Gallego for his open borders record.”
– Former White House Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp: “Kari Lake is talking directly to the people in Arizona and knows what is needed to secure and make Arizona more prosperous. Gallego had his chance to lead and failed. He is on defense and cannot defend Harris’ record. Time for a change in leadership. Kari will work hard for the people of Arizona.”
– Ahead of the debate, CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp called Lake “the most important candidate in the country besides President Trump.” Following the debate, Schlapp referenced Lake’s good debate performance saying he’s “never seen such a lopsided Senate debate.”
– Arizona Political Strategist Daniel Scarpinato:
“I’ve worked with and prepared many candidates for debates over the years. So this much was clear as an observer last night: Kari Lake really prepared AND brought her A-game — Ruben Gallego missed the mark and fell completely flat.
I’ve also been asked, “Do debates matter?” Well, I have talked to several voters today whose minds were changed last night — in Lake’s direction. So, in this case, the answer is — YES. This one mattered.”
– Arizona Political Strategist Matthew Martinez: “I thought Tim Walz was an awful debater… until I watched the poor performance from Gallego on stage tonight. Kari Lake effectively showcased her plan to put Arizona back on the right track! Arizona needs an outsider, not another Washington politician.”
– Republican U.S. Senate Nominee in Nevada Sam Brown tweeted support for Lake: “Shoutout to Kari Lake for holding her far left opponent accountable to his record tonight. Kari is fighting hard for Arizona, and she was fantastic tonight. It takes outsiders to change the insiders game!”
– Republican Nominee in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District Abe Hamadeh: “Watching the Arizona Senate debate and it’s abundantly clear: Kari Lake is the most effective communicator in the Republican Party and it’s exactly why the media, Democrats, and the crooks are scared of her.”
– Seth Keshel: “All indications are that Kari Lake is beating Ruben Gallego with a sock full of shit at the debate tonight.”
– Rob Schneider: “My friend Kari Lake was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC TONIGHT in her debate with Ruben Gallego (who voted 100% of the time with Biden/Harris)”
– Brandon Stratka: “Kari Lake was stellar in last night’s Arizona debate! We’ve heard from so many #WalkAway democrats in AZ who are now getting behind Kari Lake.”
