Kari Lake, a former television news anchor and two-time Republican candidate for statewide office in Arizona, has been nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Jamaica, the White House announced Monday.
Lake’s nomination now heads to the U.S. Senate for confirmation hearings and a vote. If approved, she would succeed former ambassador Nick Perry, whose term ended in January 2025. The post has since been held in an acting capacity by Chargé d’Affaires Scott Renner, a career diplomat with the U.S. Department of State since 1997.
The nomination marks a new chapter for Lake, who rose from a long career in local journalism to become a prominent figure in Republican politics. She spent more than two decades in broadcast news, most of it in Arizona, where she became a familiar face to viewers as an evening anchor at Fox 10 Phoenix.
Born in 1969 in Rock Island, Illinois, Lake was raised in Iowa as the youngest of nine children. Her parents were educators and healthcare workers — her father a teacher and coach and her mother a nurse. She attended the University of Iowa, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism.
Lake began her media career in the early 1990s while still in college, working as an intern at KWQC-TV in Davenport, Iowa. She later moved into reporting and weathercasting roles at WHBF-TV in Rock Island. In 1994, she relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, to join KPNX as a weekend weather anchor. After several years in Arizona television, she briefly worked at WNYT in Albany, New York, before returning to Phoenix in 1999 to join Fox 10 (KSAZ-TV), where she would remain for more than 20 years.
During her journalism career, Lake conducted interviews with a range of national figures, including President Barack Obama and Trump. Her time in broadcasting made her one of the better-known local news personalities in Arizona, particularly in the Phoenix market.
Lake left Fox 10 in March 2021 and announced her entry into politics a few months later. She launched a campaign for governor of Arizona in June 2021, entering a crowded Republican primary field. Running on a conservative platform and backed by Trump, she won the 2022 Republican nomination for governor after a closely watched primary race.
In the general election, Lake faced Democrat Katie Hobbs, then Arizona’s secretary of state. The race drew national attention and was one of the most closely contested gubernatorial elections in the country that year. Hobbs ultimately won the election, and Lake’s campaign did not prevail.
Following the election, Lake remained active in Republican politics and became a frequent speaker at conservative events and conferences. She also maintained a high national profile within the party, often aligning herself with Trump and his political movement.
In 2024, Lake entered the Republican primary for Arizona’s U.S. Senate seat. She secured the party’s nomination but went on to lose the general election to Democratic nominee Ruben Gallego.
Lake has also held a role within the Trump administration. In 2025, she was appointed as a senior adviser at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the federal agency that oversees Voice of America and other U.S.-funded international broadcasters. The agency is responsible for delivering news and information to audiences in regions with limited press freedom.
Her selection as ambassador to Jamaica adds a diplomatic dimension to a career that has moved from media into electoral politics and federal advisory work in just a few years. U.S. ambassadors are typically responsible for representing American interests abroad, overseeing embassy operations and managing bilateral relations with host countries.
Lake’s nomination also reflects Trump’s continued reliance on political allies and media figures in diplomatic roles during his second term.
Outside of politics and media, Lake has been married to Jeff Halperin since 1998. The couple has two children.
If confirmed by the Senate, Lake would take on her first formal diplomatic posting in Kingston, representing the United States in one of its long-standing Caribbean partnerships.
