Arizona GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake thanks Rep. Liz Cheney for her opposition to a gas tax hike and other tax increases.CreditDennis Cook for The New York Times
Kari Lake, the former Republican state representative from Arizona, is officially on the ballot as a Republican in the August 2018 primary election. His campaign has raised $3.3 million, according to FEC filings, and he has been endorsed by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce.
But Lake, 45, a graduate of Prescott High School and the University of Arizona, has attracted attention over his plans to raise the state’s gas tax to help pay for transportation projects — a proposal that has earned Lake the staunchest support of several Democrats in Arizona, but which, if successful, would be the most ambitious tax hike in the country.
Mr. Lake, who is gay, has been endorsed by Representative Chet Edwards, a centrist Democrat from Phoenix, and some Republican legislators from out of state, such as Republican Matt Salmon of Arizona. He also has been endorsed by Rep. Liz Cheney, Republican of Wyoming, who, like Mr. Lake, is gay, and was a leading supporter of anti-gay ballot initiatives in her state.
“I believe Kari Lake should not be on the ballot,” Ms. Cheney wrote in an advertisement placed on Facebook last Friday.
Mr. Lake, who has not yet announced any plans to seek the governor’s office, released a video on Saturday morning announcing that he opposes the gas tax.
“This gas tax has been around for over 60 years. We should be reducing taxes, not raising them,” he said in the video. “But I believe that we shouldn’t only be focusing on raising taxes — we should be looking at ways to get the state out of the business of buying and selling gas.”
He also said that he was endorsing the Republican candidate in the race to replace Gov. Doug D