Kari Lake

Kari Ann Lake[1] (born August 23, 1969) is an American politician and former television news journalist. After working at Phoenix television station KSAZ-TV for 22 years, she stepped down from her anchor role in March 2021.[2]

Kari Lake
Lake in 2021
Born
Kari Ann Lake

(1969-08-23) August 23, 1969
Illinois, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Iowa (BA)
Political partyRepublican (before 2006,
2012–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouse(s)
  • Tracy Finnegan
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1991, divorced)​
  • Jeff Halperin
    ​
    (m. 1998)​
Children2

Lake is a Republican candidate in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election. During her campaign, she has made false claims about the 2020 presidential election, in which Trump was only the second Republican to lose Arizona since 1948.[3][4] She has called for imprisoning Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs on baseless and unspecified allegations of criminality related to the 2020 election; Hobbs is also a candidate for governor in 2022.[5] Lake has been endorsed by former president Donald Trump, Arizona congressman Paul Gosar, former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.

Early life and education

Lake was born in Illinois to Larry A., a football and basketball coach from Richland Center, Wisconsin, and Sheila A. Lake (née McGuire), a nurse from Appleton, Wisconsin.[6][7][8]

Lake grew up in Iowa with eight siblings. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and journalism from the University of Iowa.[9]

Career

In May 1991, Lake began working at KWQC-TV in Davenport, Iowa, as an intern while attending the University of Iowa.[10] She later became production assistant before joining WHBF-TV in Rock Island, Illinois, to serve as a daily reporter and weekend weathercaster in 1992.[10] In August 1994, Lake would be hired by KPNX in Phoenix, Arizona, to serve as the weekend weather anchor.[11] She would later become evening anchor at KPNX before relocating to work for WNYT in Albany, New York, in the summer of 1998.[12][13] She returned to Arizona in 1999 and became an evening anchor for KSAZ-TV (Fox 10 Phoenix),[14][15] working there until resigning in 2021 to run for governor of Arizona.

While at KSAZ-TV, Lake interviewed President Barack Obama in 2016 and President Donald Trump in 2020.[16][17] After her resignation from KSAZ in 2021, she appeared in a video for PragerU, a Republican-aligned YouTube channel.[18][19]

In a video stating her resignation from TV and announcing her candidacy for governor, Lake said she had earned the trust of Arizonans by reporting "the real story" while adding she had found herself reading news copy "I didn’t believe was fully truthful or only told part of the story, and I began to feel that I was contributing to the fear and division in this country by continuing on in this profession."[20]

2022 gubernatorial run
Main article: 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election
Lake at a campaign event in Scottsdale, Arizona, July 5, 2021

Lake filed paperwork on June 1, 2021, to run for governor of Arizona in the 2022 election.[21] By the end of year, Kari Lake had raised $1.4 million from 12,000 sources.[22][23] Previously that year, she purchased an account on Gab, a social media platform known for its use by right-wing extremists.[24] During the campaign, she aligned herself with former President Donald Trump.[25] She falsely claimed that Trump won Arizona in the 2020 election.[26] Trump subsequently endorsed her, saying Lake "will fight to restore Election Integrity (both past and future!)."[27] She attended events headed by the My Pillow founder Mike Lindell, a prominent promoter of false claims regarding fraud in the 2020 election.[25] During her 2021 campaign for governor, she said that she would not have certified the 2020 election results if she had been governor at the time.[28] Arizona congressman Paul Gosar and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn also endorsed Lake in her gubernatorial bid.[29]

In August 2021, Lake led anti-mask rallies,[25] calling on Arizona State University students to violate the university's mask requirement policy.[25] Lake said that if governor she would not tolerate mask requirements and vaccine requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic.[30] The Phoenix New Times reported in November 2021 that Lake had told a private audience of Republican retirees that she was taking hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19 infection. She stated that, as governor, she would work to have the drug and ivermectin produced in the state to "make it easier for us to get these lifesaving drugs." Despite numerous studies, neither substance has been shown to be effective in treating or curing COVID-19.[31][32]

Political positions
Lake at a campaign event on October 2, 2021, with a flag associated with the Blue Lives Matter movement

Lake was a member of the Republican Party until November 3, 2006,[33] when she changed her registration to become an independent. She registered as a Democrat on January 4, 2008, the day after the Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses were won by Obama.[33] Lake returned to being a Republican on January 31, 2012. She explained her leaving the Republican Party in 2006 as a reaction to the then-ongoing Iraq and Afghanistan wars. She had supported John Kerry in 2004 and Obama in 2008.[33] After launching her campaign for governor in 2021, Lake cited Trump, Ronald Reagan and Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward, all former Democrats, as precedent.[3]

Lake identifies as a conservative Republican,[33] and in 2021, attended the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), an annual meeting of conservatives, mostly Republicans. Prior to running for office, she made several donations to Democratic presidential candidates, and she confirmed that she voted for then-candidate Obama in 2008.[33][34] In 2018, she opposed the Red for Ed movement, which sought more funding for education through strikes and protests, claiming that movement was a "big push to legalize pot."[35] Describing her position on abortion, Lake described herself as "pro-life" or anti-abortion.[36] In an op-ed for the Independent Journal Review, Lake wrote that as governor she would deport illegal immigrants that enter Arizona without seeking federal approval and complete unfinished portions of Trump's border wall.[37] She has taken positions against some LGBT rights; she opposes legislation to create non-discrimination protections for people based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and she is opposed to restrooms accommodating transgender individuals.[38][39]

Lake in January 2022

Lake has made several false assertions that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump. She falsely claimed President Joe Biden did not receive 81 million votes. After the 2021 Maricopa County presidential ballot audit found no proof of election fraud, she demanded the election be decertified—a legal impossibility. She endorsed a false assertion by Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington that Democrats use mail-in ballots to rig elections. Lake tweeted quotes made by Sidney Powell on Lou Dobbs Tonight falsely asserting there was a sweeping election fraud conspiracy. She has advocated imprisoning Arizona secretary of state Katie Hobbs on baseless and unspecified allegations of criminality related to the 2020 election; Hobbs is a declared candidate in the Arizona governor's race in 2022. Lake has also called for the imprisonment of unspecified journalists for allegedly reporting unspecified lies about the 2020 election and other matters.[40]

Personal life

Lake has been married to Jeff Halperin since August 1998.[13] They have two children. She was previously married to Tracy Finnegan, an electrical engineer.[41]

References
  1. "Marriage licenses". Quad-City Times. June 16, 1991. p. 29. Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. Goodykoontz, Bill. "Why longtime Fox 10 news anchor Kari Lake is leaving the Phoenix station after 22 years". The Arizona Republic.
  3. Duda, Jeremy (October 11, 2021). "The 'unstoppable' Kari Lake?". Arizona Mirror.
  4. Snow, Anita; Cooper, Jonathan J. (November 4, 2020). "Former GOP stronghold of Arizona hands big wins to Democrats". Associated Press.
  5. Dale, Daniel (October 16, 2021). "Fact-checking Kari Lake, serial promoter of election lies and early frontrunner in GOP primary for Arizona governor". CNN. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  6. "Obituaries". Quad-City Times. October 15, 2009. p. C4. Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Obituaries". The Dispatch. May 3, 1995. p. A8. Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Obituaries". The Rock Island Argus. December 23, 1985. p. 5. Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Haute Secrets Phoenix: Kari Lake". Haute Living. November 8, 2010. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  10. Lorenzen, Ron (December 14, 1992). "Comedy Challenge keeps people laughing". Quad-City Times. p. 2T. Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Channel 12 hires weather anchor". Arizona Republic. August 24, 1994. p. 6. Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Clancy, Michael (October 17, 1998). "Rumors of Majik 107's sale persist". Arizona Republic. p. D10. Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Tropiano, Dolores (August 19, 1998). "Nordstrom remains well-heeled". Arizona Republic. p. B8. Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. Clancy, Michael (September 4, 1999). "'NewShow' fluff count still high". Arizona Republic. p. D12. Retrieved December 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Clancy, Michael (December 11, 1999). "KEZ's Maggie Brock on leave because of muscle disorder". Arizona Republic. p. D4. Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "FOX 10's Kari Lake 1-on-1 with President Obama". WAGA-TV. May 3, 2016.
  17. "Only on FOX: Kari Lake interviews President Donald Trump ahead of Phoenix rally". KSAZ-TV. February 19, 2020.
  18. Banister, Craig (March 2, 2021). "Emmy Award-Winning News Anchor Quits: 'Haven't Felt Proud to Be Member of Media,' 'Don't Like Direction It's Going'". CNS News. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  19. Crowder, John (June 6, 2021). "PragerU Video – Kari Lake: Why I Quit My Job as a News Anchor". Pocatello-Chubbuck Observer. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  20. Schwarz, D. Hunter (October 15, 2021). "How Kari Lake went from mainstream media to Arizona's leading MAGA candidate for governor". Deseret News.
  21. Oxford, Andrew (June 1, 2021). "Another GOP candidate jumps into governor's race: Former TV anchor Kari Lake files paperwork to run". Arizona Republic.
  22. Stone, Kevin (January 19, 2022). "Hobbs, Lake each spent more than $1M on Arizona governor race in 2021". KTAR News.
  23. Alexander, Rachel (January 24, 2022). "Kari Lake Campaign for Governor Raises Almost Three Times More Money as Pundits Predicted". Arizona Sun Times.
  24. Baxter, Erasmus (January 21, 2021). "Not On TV, Kari Lake Is Active on Site for Right-Wingers, Nazis". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  25. Resnik, Brahm (August 15, 2021). "'Take the mask and shove it': Kari Lake leads anti-mask rally at ASU. Here are 5 takeaways". 12news.com. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  26. Siders, David; Montellero, Zach (September 20, 2021). "'It's spreading': Phony election fraud conspiracies infect midterms". Politico. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  27. Barchenger, Stacey (September 28, 2021). "Kari Lake gets coveted endorsement from former President Trump in Arizona governor's race". Arizona Republic. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  28. Berman, Ari (October 2, 2021). "Trump's candidate for Arizona governor says she would not have certified Biden's victory". Mother Jones. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  29. Clift, Eleanor (November 10, 2021). "Kari Lake Is the Camera Ready, Big-Lie Loving Future of the MAGA Movement". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  30. "Kari Lake is trying to make the jump from TV news to governor of Arizona. Can she do it?". KNXV. August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  31. Schwenk, Katya (November 23, 2021). "Kari Lake Says She's Taking Hydroxychloroquine to Ward Off COVID-19". Phoenix New Times.
  32. Funke, Daniel (August 13, 2021). "Fact check: Ivermectin is not a proven treatment for COVID-19". USA Today.
  33. Resnik, Brahm (June 18, 2021). "Before she embraced Donald Trump, she signed on with Democrats as Barack Obama's fortunes soared". 12news.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  34. Welch, Dennis (June 15, 2021). "Kari Lake defends donating to Democratic presidential candidates". AZFamily. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  35. Longhi, Lorraine (April 25, 2018). "Local news anchor Kari Lake apologizes for tweet that #RedForEd is cover to legalize pot". Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  36. "Interview: Arizona Governor Hopeful Kari Lake on Her Faith, Media Bias, and Why She's Running". Tennessee Star. June 24, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  37. Lake, Kari (January 5, 2022). "Kari Lake: Arizona Will Do What Washington Won't - Finish the Wall and Defend Our State". Independent Journal Review. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  38. Vachon, Nick. "Kari Lake defends anti-LGBTQ discrimination in Arizona: 'I have a lot of gay friends'". The American Independent. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  39. Roberts, Laurie. "Kari Lake goes on the attack and Karrin Taylor Robson must be ... pleased". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  40. Dale, Daniel (October 16, 2021). "Fact-checking Kari Lake, serial promoter of election lies and early frontrunner in GOP primary for Arizona governor". CNN. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  41. Lorenzen, Ron (August 8, 1994). "KWQC alters afternoon lineup for news". Quad-City Times. p. 2T. Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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