Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) has announced his endorsement of Republican candidate Kari Lake in her bid to flip the U.S. Senate seat of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) to the GOP.
Cotton, a key ally of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), is backing Lake in the critical swing state race that could determine control of the Senate.
In a statement on Monday, Cotton said he’s endorsing Lake because she is “the fighter Arizona needs.”
With Cotton’s support, Lake now has endorsements from a number of prominent Republicans.
“Kari Lake is the fighter Arizona needs to secure the border, unleash American Energy Independence, and lower the cost of living,” Cotton said in a statement.
“Joe Biden’s policies have been a disaster for Arizona and Kari Lake will stand up to the Biden agenda and put Arizonans first.
“Let’s send Kari to the Senate and take back the majority.”
Lake responded to Cotton’s endorsement and said she’s looking forward to working with him in the Senate.
“I am grateful for the endorsement of Sen. Cotton, someone who served our country honorably in the military and has been a conservative warrior in the Senate,” Lake said..
“I look forward to working with Sen. Cotton to secure our border and get America back on track from Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer’s far-left agenda.”
The race is expected to be one of the most closely watched of the 2024 election cycle.
Republicans are aiming for a majority in Congress’s upper chamber.
Democrats currently control the Senate by a slim 51-49 margin with the support of Sinema and her fellow independents, Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Angus King (I-ME).
With Cotton’s backing, Lake has secured the support of two top senators.
The others are Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) as well as House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and several other House Republicans.
Lake also has the backing of President Donald Trump, who endorsed her via video during her campaign launch in October.
She also has support from multiple state and local officials in Arizona and across the country.
Lake’s only major challenger in the race for the Republican nomination so far is Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb.
Whichever Republican wins the nomination will likely face Phoenix-area Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego in the general election.
Sinema, a former Democrat, has not yet said whether she will run for reelection.
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