Former U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake said she will forego running against Arizona’s "corrupt machine" in the state's next gubernatorial election and instead will go to Washington, D.C., to help President-elect Donald Trump "Make America great again."
Lake, who last month lost to Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego in the race for independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's seat, had been mentioned as a possible contender to run against Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs, who defeated Lake, a former TV reporter, in 2022.
Earlier this month, Trump announced he would name Lake to serve as the next director of the Voice of America, an international media network funded by the federal government.
"We know the movement that we have in Arizona, and I will never take that for granted. But there is a corrupt machine here that is hellbent on making sure I never hold office," Lake posted on X.
"So, I won't put my family (and myself) through the torture of running again. I will go to Washington, D.C., return @VOANews to its glory days, and help President Trump Make America Great Again."
Lake offered a similar response last week at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona.
"I am gonna go help President Trump in Washington, D.C. That’s what I’m gonna do," she said after a member of the AmFest crowd asked whether she would run for governor.
Lake has been a strong Trump supporter. She supported the president-elect’s claims that the 2020 presidential election was determined by voter fraud in several key swing states, including Arizona.
"We’re not where we need to be on elections. And that’s one of the reasons I don’t want to run again, to be honest," she said at AmFest. "Why put yourself through that torture again?
"Thankfully, President Trump’s victory, it was too big to rig."
After Lake's remarks, Trump encouraged Republican Karrin Taylor Robson to enter the 2026 race for Arizona governor, telling her in a speech, "You’re going to have my support," the Arizona Republican reported.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.