PHOENIX — Kari Lake, the Republican candidate for Arizona Senate, sat down with 12News journalist Troy Hayden to talk about the border, immigration, abortion and housing ahead of Election Day.
Lake said if elected, on day one she would like to co-sponsor or write a piece of legislation to "fully fund and expedite" the construction of the southern border wall.
"I know from being on the campaign trail that the people of this country want to spend our money securing our border," Lake said.
In addition to the border wall, Lake said she would like to address the people who have come across the border since President Joe Biden took office.
"They've come in unvetted, they've come in illegally, and we need to repatriate them back to their homelands," Lake said.
Lake said part of her border plan includes ensuring police are fully funded as well as adding "thousands" of judges to hear asylum cases.
"Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, with a wink and a nod and a rubber stamp, Ruben Gallego, have allowed the whole world in and our backs are breaking," Lake said. "We can't take it."
Lake repeatedly stated claims that the "open-border policies" of the Biden Administration have let 20 million migrants into the country illegally.
Lake said she will "secure the border by any means necessary."
"It's that critical," Lake said.
Securing the border is also important to the economy, Lake said.
Lake said her children have expressed their concerns over the housing market.
"No matter how hard we work, if we work every waking hour, we still won't be able to save enough to buy a house," Lake said.
Lake's plan includes using federal dollars for "a little bit of help" right now, not as a long-term solution.
"We need a little bit of help right now to get through this dismal economy," Lake said.
Similar to short-term help for young people looking to buy homes, Lake said she would also like to provide short-term assistance to elderly people. When asked how she would do so, she did not give a specific strategy.
"My fear is that we are going to see hundreds of thousands of people in the next several months either slip into poverty or worse yet, slip into homelessness," Lake said.
Lake has already cast her ballot in the general election and told 12News she voted no on Proposition 139, which would enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution. Voting no supports the current law in Arizona, Lake said.
"The current law we have, it was signed into law by both the Democrats and Republicans, it's truly bipartisan and it's an abortion law that goes up until about four months of pregnancy," Lake said.
Lake said on the issue of abortion, she agrees with Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the United States Supreme Court. Ginsburg is documented as criticizing Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion, but was a vocal supporter of access to abortion.
"This is an issue for us, right here in Arizona," Lake said. "I want Arizonans to decide. And if Arizonans decide that that proposition is what they want, as your U.S. Senator, I will respect that fully, and as your U.S. Senator, I will not push for a federal abortion ban. But I will push for pro-family legislation."
With polls showing a deadlock on the outcome of the presidency, 12News asked Lake if she has any fear of violence if former president Donald Trump is not elected.
"Not from our side," Lake said. "President Trump, the MAGA movement, the America First movement is truly about bringing all Americans together."
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