PHOENIX — Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego extended his lead over Republican Kari Lake in Arizona’s highly contested U.S. Senate race on Saturday night following the latest ballot drop in Maricopa County. Gallego gained an additional 12,702 votes from the recent tally of over 104,000 ballots, placing him ahead by 45,504 votes — a margin of 1.5 percentage points at 49.7%-48.2% — with around 87% of ballots counted, according to the Arizona Secretary of State.
Ongoing Count and Potential Impact
The update also revealed that approximately 438,131 ballots remain uncounted statewide, with Maricopa County holding about 230,000 of these, making its updates crucial to the final outcome. Green Party candidate Eduardo Quintana has maintained about 2% of the vote, but as the count narrows, each update influences the race’s trajectory.
Arizona Senate Race and Political Stakes
The victor in this Senate race will succeed independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who did not seek reelection. Regardless of the outcome, Republicans are projected to take control of the Senate, which is expected to strengthen President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration.
About the Candidates
Gallego, a five-term representative of Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District, entered the Senate race unopposed in the Democratic primary. A Marine Corps veteran, he has represented much of south, west, and downtown Phoenix since his first election to Congress.
Lake, formerly a well-known local TV anchor, is popular among Republicans, with strong support for Donald Trump and the election fraud claims he promotes. After her loss to Democrat Katie Hobbs in the 2022 gubernatorial race, Lake entered the Senate race, defeating Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in the Republican primary.
