Kari Lake has her work cut out for her as Arizona's Senate race continues to take shape. Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego has set the stage with an impressive $7.5 million fundraising total for the first quarter of 2024, doubling his efforts from the last quarter of 2023 and solidifying his position with $9.6 million in cash on hand.

This comes seven months before Election Day, showing the intensified battle for Arizona's Senate seat, particularly after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) announced her decision not to seek re-election, paving the way for the likely Gallego vs. Lake showdown.

Gallego's substantial fundraising effort poses a considerable challenge for Lake, the former TV anchor and gubernatorial hopeful, who raised $2.1 million in the last quarter of 2023. Despite this, Lake's prospects could see an uptick as more Republican supporters may rally behind her candidacy now that Sinema is out of the race.

According to The Hill, Gallego's campaign has demonstrated remarkable grassroots support, with 98% of contributions being $200 or less and a total of 100,000 individuals donating last cycle—half of whom were first-time contributors to Gallego.

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Nichole Johnson, Gallego’s campaign manager, said, “Thanks to the support of hundreds of thousands of small-dollar donors who have chipped in what they could to help elect Ruben Gallego, we are building the infrastructure to win this November.”

She finished, “Arizonans are ready to elect a Senator who will defend abortion rights, cut costs for families, and take care of our veterans — and that’s exactly what Ruben will do.”

As the race heats up, Lake's strategy to counter Gallego's fundraising success and broad-based support will be critical. With the deadline for first-quarter fundraising reports looming, GOP eyes will be on Lake's ability to mobilize her base and secure the necessary funds to compete effectively.

While top outside groups may offer financial support to Lake, the efficacy of these contributions, especially in terms of television advertising, could be limited compared to direct campaign funds according to reports.

Gallego has already made significant moves on the airwaves, launching TV ads early and aiming to define his candidacy to a statewide audience. Lake's response to this fundraising disparity and her plans to engage voters through her campaign messaging will be pivotal in the months leading to the election.

Gallego currently holds a small advantage in the polls over Lake in the Senate race for Arizona as well.

On top of this, Lake has continued to face setbacks as of recently. Last week she chose not to defend herself against liability in the defamation lawsuit filed by Stephen Richer, a Republican election official in Maricopa County. Richer, who oversaw the county's 2022 elections, had accused Lake of falsely blaming him for her electoral loss in the gubernatorial race to Democrat Katie Hobbs.

Lake's legal team moved for a default judgment, indicating that while she is not contesting her liability, she intends to challenge the extent of damages claimed. Lake also requested that Richer provide medical and psychiatric records to substantiate his claims of health deterioration due to the lawsuit's stress.

Throughout her 2022 gubernatorial campaign, Lake, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, claimed that she was the rightful winner, often targeting Richer in her allegations. Among her claims, Lake accused Richer of deliberately misprinting ballots to cause tabulation machines to malfunction on Election Day.