U.S. Senate Republican candidate Kari Lake speaks during a debate with U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Phoenix. (Cheryl Evans/Arizona Republic via AP)

On Wednesday, Arizona Republican Senate nominee Kari Lake faced off with Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego in the lone debate for the seat being vacated by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I). While the debate showed a clear divide between the moderate left and extreme right on major policy issues such as the Southern border and the economy, Lake seemed to lose track of a very serious voting issue for many in her state: abortion. 

Not once, not twice, but three different times, Lake said that she was fully supportive of access to “UVF.” She most likely meant “IVF” (in-vitro fertilization) and not the Ulster Volunteer Force, which is an active terrorist organization in Northern Ireland. While gaffes like Lake’s wouldn’t single-handedly tank her candidacy, they raise a continued question of candidate quality. 

Lake’s stances on abortion are among the most extreme for MAGA Republicans who are nominated this cycle, as she’s frequently criticized the fact that Arizona’s “draconian” abortion ban from 1864 was not enforced. Lake also was supportive of the Dobbs Supreme Court Supreme Court decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, but has since notably changed her position on the issue several times. 

Lake, who infamously ran for Arizona governor in 2020 and attempted to contest her loss, has been heavily invested and engaged with GOP races around the U.S., especially in the Midwest. Most notably however, Lake is trailing her own opponent in Arizona by a very sizable margin, with GOP donors beginning to cull investment in her race. 

The GOP path to the White House, Senate and House control runs directly through the Midwest, especially in the key swing states of Michigan and Wisconsin. With the GOP set on deploying Lake as a surrogate in both of those states for key down-ballot races, whether or not she’s impactful remains to be seen, especially as Arizona voters appear set to reject her for a second time.