Kari Lake celebrated being on the minds of celebrity Democratic politicians like Barack Obama – but said she had a 'tinge of fear' when she earned the attention of Hillary Clinton and joked she might disappear.
The GOP Arizona gubernatorial candidate pulled out the big guns by bringing along some surprise guests to the rally four days before Election Day, including pro-Trump Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri and GOP Senatorial candidate Blake Masters.
Lake, 53, tore into her Democratic rival Katie Hobbs, the current Arizona Secretary of State, for refusing to debate her, claiming it was a way of dodging her 'job interview' for governor.
'Maybe she's afraid,' Lake told a crowd of more than 200 supporters gathered at the Arrowhead Country Club on Friday evening in Glendale, Arizona – about 25-miles outside of Phoenix. 'I don't care if she disrespects me. I do care that she disrespects you and the people of Arizona.'
'It's a job interview,' the former broadcast journalist said of political debates. 'And if you don't show up for a job interview, you don't get the job.'
Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake celebrated with a room of more than 200 supporters Friday night – claiming that her campaign scares top Democrat stars like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton
The broadcast journalist turned Republican candidate spoke with supporters at the Arrowhead Country Club in Glendale, Arizona on Friday – just four days before the midterm elections
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs fell in the polls against Lake in recent weeks and is now trailing the GOP candidate to take retiring Governor Doug Ducey's place in the Governor's Mansion
Hawley, somewhat of a celebrity among the pro-Trump arm of the Republican Party, helped make the final argument for Lake's election to Arizona's Governor's Mansion.
But Lake joked that she wouldn't make it there if the Clintons had anything to say about it.
Masters, during his remarks before Lake's appearance, said that he is going to send Senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly 'back to space in four days.'
Both Masters and Lake started way behind their Democratic opponents in polling, but were able to gain significant ground in the month before Election Day.
Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley made an unannounced appearance at the rally for Lake on Friday evening
Ahead of a flurry of GOP politicians taking the stage, Lake supporters filtered into the room and songs played that, in part, mirrored former President Donald Trump's rally playlist.
Lake told the energetic crowd that she was shocked to have earned the attention of big name Democrats like former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State and twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
'Why would you vote for somebody who you know is not telling the truth about something?' Obama said this week when speaking about the GOP candidates in Arizona.
'I mean, on something that important. I don't care how nicely they say it. I don't care how poised they are or how well-lit they are,' he said in referencing Lake's decades of television experience and the production value of her campaign.
'Yesterday was really one of those – kind of a 'pinch me' day. Guess who came out and attacked me? Barack Obama!' Lake said to the crowd.
'He was talking about me and it's so funny – I'm living rent free in Obama's head,' Lake reflected.
'I didn't actually listen to the speech until today… and I'm like, 'Wow, I'm really living rent free.' He went on and on. And he had nothing to attack us on,' she said, claiming that Obama's best attack against her is that she has 'good lighting.'
'That's how desperate they are,' she dismissed.
Lake is facing off with current Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who dipped in the polls after refusing to debate her Republican rival
Earlier in the day on Friday, Lake visited the U.S.-Mexico border in Sierra Vista, Arizona
Lake told her supporters, however, that being on the Clintons' radar is the last thing she wants.
She even suggested Friday evening that if she disappears or randomly turns up dead, people should look to the former first couple as the main suspects.
'There was a little twinge of fear when Hillary Clinton started talking about me,' Lake admitted.
She then went on to list that she's in great health, recently had her car brakes served and is not suicidal.
'When Obama was attacking me, I laughed. I laughed when Liz Cheney came in and attacked me… But one thing did scare me – yesterday I heard Hillary Clinton talking about me,' Lake recalled.
'I just want everyone to know I'm in perfect health,' she said to roars of laughter. 'We recently had our car serviced and our brakes are in perfect working condition. And I am not suicidal.'
Despite the suggestion of fear, getting under Democrats' skin is exactly what Lake says the GOP needs to do.
Hawley, whose appearance at the rally was a surprise to attendees, said that Democrats are 'right' when they say the U.S. is 'broken', and claimed Republicans are the ones who are going to fix it.
A FiveThirtyEight polling average showed Lake trailing her Democratic rival Katie Hobbs for months until a flip in early October. This was around the time that Hobbs doubled-down on her refusal to debate Lake before the November 8 midterm elections.
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