In response to what Democrats clearly view as one of the major successes of former President Donald Trump's MAGA movement, a growing chorus of voices on the left is voicing fears that Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake may not just score a victory in November, but could also prove a viable candidate for national office in 2024 or beyond, as Axios reports.
Currently embroiled in a heated battle with Democrat opponent and current Arizona secretary of state, Katie Hobbs, Lake has gained legions of followers over the course of her campaign, many of whom hail from across the country.
A former local television news personality in Arizona, Lake's star power, telegenic presentation, and her straightforward take on the issues reportedly have a number of prominent liberal observers worried about where she might go next, particularly if she prevails in her electoral fight next month.
Former Barack Obama adviser David Axelrod is among those currently fretting about Lake's appeal, telling the outlet, "If you get a candidate who has the performance skills of a major-market local TV anchor and the philosophy and thinking of Steve Bannon, that's a potent and dangerous combination."
Perhaps further fueling Democrat concerns about Lake's ability to secure the governorship in just a few weeks' time and then use that position to bring national prominence to the pro-MAGA positions she favors is the fact that Hobbs has flatly declined to engage in any formal debate with her ahead of election day.
As NBC News noted, Sandra Kennedy, former chair of Joe Biden's 2020 campaign in the state and an elected member of the state Corporation Commission, said recently regarding Hobbs, "You wonder as a candidate if you're doing everything you should be doing."
"You don't want to wait till the day after the election and think, 'Would I have done it another way?'" she added.
"I can't say to you that she should have done or shouldn't have done certain things. She's the candidate. But if I were the candidate for governor, I would debate, and I would want the people of Arizona to know what my platform is. And I would lay it out – lay it out in a way so they will know the difference between me and Kari Lake," Kennedy concluded.
Lake, who has been routinely assailed by the mainstream media for her vocal skepticism of the results of the 2020 presidential election, appeared on CNN's State of the Union Sunday and was asked – rather snarkily – whether she will accept the outcome of her race on Nov. 8, to which she confidently replied, "Well, I'm going to win, so yes, I'll accept that result."
