In a recent interview, Kari Lake, the Republican Senate candidate, expressed her disappointment over the non-enforcement of Arizona’s century-old abortion ban by the state’s Democratic leadership. This statement seems to contradict her recent public opposition to the law.
“The Arizona Supreme Court declared this as the law of Arizona, but sadly, those in power have decided not to enforce it. It’s essentially political theater,” Lake told Idaho Dispatch during a visit to the state on Saturday. “Many of us wish we had that law,” she added.
On April 9, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the state must comply with a 160-year-old law that prohibits all abortions, except when “necessary” to save the life of a pregnant woman. The court postponed the enforcement of the ban for at least 14 days to allow plaintiffs to challenge the law. Arizona’s Democratic Attorney General, Kris Mayes, stated that her office has no plans to prosecute providers or patients under the near-total ban. According to the attorney general’s website, the 1864 territorial abortion ban could come into effect as early as June 8, 2024.
Lake’s recent comments have sparked controversy within the anti-abortion movement due to her shifting stance on the law. In 2022, while running for governor, the former TV news anchor praised the 1864 law in a podcast interview following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. She expressed her excitement that Arizona would have a “great law that’s already on the books” come into effect.
However, as a Senate candidate, Lake has reversed her position on the abortion law. She opposed the Arizona Supreme Court’s abortion ruling earlier this month and urged the state’s Democratic governor and GOP-controlled Legislature to find a “common sense solution” immediately. Lake released a video explaining her stance two days after the ruling, stating that the “total ban on abortion” does not align with Arizonans’ views on the issue. She voiced her support for exceptions in cases of rape and incest and actively lobbied state lawmakers to overturn the law.
During a campaign event in Scottsdale last week, Lake admitted to a “slight shift” in her stance on the abortion law but maintained that she remains “pro-life.” Her comments against the abortion ban have drawn criticism from anti-abortion advocates. Steve Deace, a conservative talk show host based in Iowa, expressed his extreme disappointment, arguing that Lake is “almost completely unrecognizable” from her gubernatorial campaign.
Lake is currently considered the front-runner for the Republican nomination to succeed retiring independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. This race could be crucial in determining control of the Senate next year. US Rep. Ruben Gallego, running unopposed in the Democratic primary, has criticized Lake for her previous support of the abortion ban and accused his likely general election opponent of flip-flopping on the issue for political gain. “Now, because she has seen the outrage and because she will lie and do whatever she can to win,” he told CNN’s Kaitlan Collin earlier this month, “she is basically flip-flopping on her position, but she cannot be trusted.”