JD Vance makes choice in critical Senate race as GOP control hangs in the balance

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, is weighing in on what is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate races this year, making a not-so-surprising endorsement of who he’d like to see join him and his colleagues in winning control of Congress’ upper chamber for Republicans.

“Kari Lake is a battle-tested warrior who will secure the border and advocate for policies that put the American people first,” Vance told the Daily Caller, who first reported his plans to endorse the former Arizona gubernatorial candidate and television anchor next week.

“Kari is running against a far-left Democrat who has been a rubber stamp for all of Joe Biden’s destructive policies that have gutted the middle class. I am proud to endorse Kari as the next U.S. Senator for Arizona,” he added, referencing Phoenix area Rep. Ruben Gallego, the likely Democrat nominee.

DEMS THRUST KARI LAKE, MCCAIN FEUD INTO SPOTLIGHT AS CRUCIAL SENATE BATTLE HEATS UP: ‘NO PEACE, B—-!’

Lake told the outlet she was “humbled” to receive the endorsement, which comes just two weeks after she got the official backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the official campaign arm for Senate Republicans, which rarely endorses candidates before a primary takes place.

The conservative firebrand is also being backed by former President Donald Trump, Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Reps. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Burgess Owens, R-Utah.

Barrasso, a member of Republican Senate leadership, is expected to join Lake for campaign stops in Arizona this week.

DEMOCRAT IN CRUCIAL SENATE RACE UNDER FIRE FOR PAST AMNESTY, SANCTUARY CITY ‘SUPPORT’ AS BORDER CRISIS SPIRALS

The race is widely seen as one of the best flip opportunities for Republicans, alongside West Virginia, Ohio, Montana and Nevada. Democrats currently hold a 51-49 majority with the support of incumbent independent Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and her fellow independent Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Angus King, I-Maine.

In recent cycles, races in the state have been decided within tight margins, including in 2022 when incumbent Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly defeated Republican businessman Blake Masters by less than 5%, a 2020 special election when Kelly defeated appointed Republican Sen. Martha McSally by less than 3%, and in 2018 when Sinema defeated McSally by just over 2%.

Lake’s only major opponent in the Republican primary is Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, and, should she become the nominee, will likely face Phoenix-area Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego in the general election.

Early polling of a hypothetical matchup between Lake and Gallego suggests a tight race, even when including Sinema, who has not yet said whether she will run for re-election after announcing her departure from the Democrat Party in Dec. 2022.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.