Follow this authorHenry Olsen's opinions

She has time to consider her options. Arizona’s Senate primary isn’t until early August and she doesn’t have to officially file until March. Normally, candidates for targeted races have to get started months before filing so they have time to raise money. But Lake’s high visibility could make that a less pressing need. A February poll found she had 88 percent name identification with Arizona voters, and her court case challenging the 2022 results has kept her name in the news. National officials would surely prefer an early announcement, but Lake can probably wait until the end of the year or even until 2024 to make a final decision.

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The complications — both for her and the GOP — come from what happens if she runs for the Senate without rejecting the possibility that she might accept a chance to run for vice president. Winning a competitive U.S. Senate seat requires complete dedication. Candidates not only must campaign relentlessly; they must also raise tens of millions of dollars. She simply can’t get that amount of cash when she’s not putting in the effort — and a lingering shot at the vice presidency might prove distracting.

The problems intensify the longer she stays in the Senate race. Once she files, she will probably be the overwhelming favorite for the nomination. Most votes are cast by mail even in Arizona Republican primaries and those ballots for the August primary can be received as early as July 10. That’s uncomfortably close to the GOP convention’s July 15 start date. Trump didn’t pick Mike Pence as his 2016 running mate until the Friday before the convention. It’s possible that the nominee will either not be known or will not have made a public vice-presidential selection by the time Arizonans start to vote.

There’s also another concern: Arizona law allows someone to be on the ballot for vice president and for another federal office simultaneously, but........

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