Tag: Karrin Taylor Robson

Arizona Republicans Target Trans Policies in Schools, Election Integrity After Senator Warns Gov. Hobbs Could ‘Regret’ Using Veto Power

Tom Pappert

Republicans in the Arizona State Senate on Wednesday had submitted three bills ahead of the upcoming legislative session that they acknowledge are tougher versions of legislation previously vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs earlier this year in remarks published less than one month after Senate Pro Tem T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge) suggested lawmakers could allow voters the final say on anything she rejects.

The bills include SB 1001 by Senator J.D. Mesnard (R-Chandler), which would require voters using mail-in ballots to present their identification if submitting their ballots on the Friday before Election Day.

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TPUSA Founder Charlie Kirk Floated to Challenge Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs in 2026

Tom Pappert
Charlie Kirk

Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk is reportedly being floated as a possible Republican candidate to challenge Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs in 2026.

News that Kirk may be considering a gubernatorial campaign for 2026 was revealed by 12 News reporter Brahm Resnik during the television station’s Sunday “Square Off” program, when he claimed there is a “rumor” that Kirk is considering a run for governor after emerging as “a significant player” in the Republican Party during the 2024 elections.

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Arizona Expected to Receive Over $800 Million in 2024 Political Advertising, Most of Any Battleground State

Tom Pappert

Arizona is projected to be the recipient of nearly $1 billion in political advertising during the 2024 cycle, meaning the Grand Canyon State will receive the highest share of spending of any battleground state, and the second highest of any state in the union, should the projections be correct.

The state is expected to see about $821 million in advertising over the 2024 political cycle, according to a new report published by AdImpact. Arizona will receive almost $100 million more than the second highest battleground state, Pennsylvania, which is estimated to receive $725 million.

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REVIEW: Kari Lake’s New Book ‘Unafraid’ Is Chock Full of All the Juicy Details You’d Expect

Rachel Alexander

Kari Lake is releasing new book, Unafraid: Just Getting Started, on June 27. The Arizona Sun Times was provided with a review copy in advance. In the book, which contains a forward by Donald Trump, Lake went over the bias she discovered while working in media, her race for governor, election fraud, and other issues like border security that she has championed. 

Lake explained in detail why she decided to leave her anchorwoman job, discussing how she observed the tactics broadcast TV used to make Republicans look bad and Democrats look good. She asked God for guidance when she became troubled about saying things on air regarding COVID-19 she knew were wrong. She opened her Bible and 1 Timothy 6:7 jumped out at her, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” 

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Kelli Ward May Not Seek Reelection as Chairman of Arizona GOP

Neil Jones

Following the apparent losses of major races to Democrats in the state, Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) Chairwoman Dr. Kelli Ward has faced calls to resign from her position, with significant backlash coming from former Republican gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson. However, Tyler Bowyer from Turning Point USA said this backlash is unnecessary because Ward will not be seeking reelection as party chair.

“Karrin has been a no-show, never helped GOP only herself, did zero after she lost & only helped Dems turnout for prop 308 to help illegals. If she was semi-involved she’d already know Ward isn’t even running,” tweeted Bowyer.

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Moderate GOP PAC in Arizona Raised $1.6 Million, Spent Less than $7,500 on Actual Candidates

Rachel Alexander

The Republican Legislative Victory Fund (RLVF), a PAC which is run by Camelback Strategy Group (CSG), filed a campaign finance report this past week revealing that between the middle of July and the end of September, they raised over $1,606,795, but only about $7,000 ended up being spent to help Republican candidates. Instead, the RLVF spent about $735,000 on operating expenses for consultants, fundraisers, accounting, polling, etc. 

Other than $7,398.45 for flyers/handouts/door hangers for one candidate, RLVF’s only expenditures helping candidates during this crucial point of the primary race and the beginning of the general race was $5,619 each for campaign websites. Maricopa County Republican Committee Member at Large Brian Ference, who designs websites for a living, told The Arizona Sun Times, “$5,619 for a simple website is considerably overpriced in the Arizona market. I have created dozens of political sites including candidates and the most a candidate should be paying is $2,000-$3,000 for a simple campaign website.”

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Republicans Look to November as Concerns Linger over Ballot Tabulation Delays in Arizona

Rachel Alexander

Although Arizona’s primary election was Tuesday, not all of the ballots have been counted yet, leaving the Arizona gubernatorial primary race for Republicans uncalled until Thursday evening. The Associated Press finally declared Trump-endorsed Kari Lake the winner, after Lake’s victory increased to 20,000, 46.78 percent to Karrin Taylor Robson’s 44.03 percent. By 1 p.m. on Thursday, there were still at least 242,414 outstanding ballots statewide. 

Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward appeared on Steve Bannon’s War Room: Pandemic Wednesday evening to discuss the slow results. At that time, only 82 percent of the ballots had been counted. Ward blamed incompetence by Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer. “France can count millions of ballots within hours of their election,” she pointed out, calling him a “disgrace.” (She retweeted the information about France) Ward said his office announced they would have more results to announce at 7 p.m. from the 125,000 outstanding ballots left from people who had dropped their ballots off at polling locations, but never did.

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Democrat Gubernatorial Nominee Katie Hobbs Slammed for Poor Job as Secretary of State, Tuesday’s Primary Vote Count in Arizona Described as ‘Glacial’

Peter D'Abrosca

As vote counting continues in Arizona’s Republican gubernatorial election, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, the Democrat nominee, is being slammed for the slow vote count. 

“Arizona’s glacial vote-counting isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for how Katie Hobbs would perform as governor,” said John Gabriel, editor-in-chief of Ricochet. 

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Poll Finds Election Day Voters Expect to Vote in Kari Lake’s Favor

Peter D'Abrosca

While early voting remained a dead heat between gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and opponent Karrin Taylor Robson, a poll shows that election day voters are expected to vote for Lake in droves. 

“Voting is already underway and Lake is dominating among voters who have yet to vote but plan to vote before Election Day (41.7% to 25.8%) and those who plan to vote on Election Day (46.7% to 20.5%),” said Creative Destruction Media. “Robson holds a statistically insignificant lead among those who have already cast a ballot, 42.5% to 41.9%.”

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Lake Campaign Disputes Validity of Emerson Poll

Peter D'Abrosca

On primary election day in Arizona, gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake’s campaign is disputing a recent Emerson poll that shows her in a statistical tie with her main opponent, Karrin Taylor Robson. 

The poll,  which was conducted between July 28 and July 30 among 600 “very likely Republican primary voters and individuals who already voted,” shows Robson with a slight 47 percent to 46 percent edge over.

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Kari Lake Files Complaint Against Gov. Doug Ducey for Flying Her Opponent from a Joint Campaign Event in a Taxpayer-Funded Jet

Rachel Alexander

Trump-endorsed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake has filed a complaint with Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich against Gov. Doug Ducey for using a state government helicopter to fly back from a campaign event with her opponent Karrin Taylor Robson after he hosted a campaign event with Robson. 

The complaint letter from Lake’s attorney Tim La Sota stated, “The state airplane is not a shuttle service that can be rented out by wealthy politicians when the private jet they normally use is unavailable. And the Governor has no power under the law to permit such effective rental agreements to those he favors politically. Surely after over a decade in public office he must know this.”

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Kari Lake Accuses Karrin Taylor Robson of Tricking ‘a Record’ 1,200 Plus Mostly Elderly People into Donations, Including Autorenewals

Rachel Alexander

Republican Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, who is leading the GOP primary race, accused opponent Karrin Taylor Robson of tricking elderly Arizonans into donating to her campaign by pretending the money would go for “Trump, Truth Social & the Wall.” She also accused the mostly self-funded candidate, who is the other main contestant left in the primary, of fooling donors into committing to automatically renewing their donations each month. 

In a video, Lake holds up over 1,000 pages of “potential victims.” She said she is warning retirees or those married to a retiree about “a fundraising ploy that they could have very likely gotten caught up in, especially if they are patriotic and worried about the direction this country is going.” She went on, “Thousands and thousands of Americans, most of them retirees, most of them living on Social Security, got tricked into donating to my opponent in one of those recurring donation schemes.” 

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Kari Lake Responds to Gov. Doug Ducey’s Criticism, Notes RINOs ‘Travel in Packs’ Citing Rival’s Pence, Christie Endorsements

Rachel Alexander

Early ballots for Arizona’s primary election were mailed last week, prompting a flurry of last minute endorsements for candidates. Gov. Doug Ducey, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie endorsed Karrin Taylor Robson in the gubernatorial race, and Ducey took it a step further, criticizing Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake during a CNN appearance, prompting a sharp response from Lake. 

Lake, who is leading by a substantial amount in recent polls, has portrayed Robson and those endorsing her as RINOs. She told The Arizona Sun Times, “Doug Ducey, Chris Christie and Mike Pence are all herding around Karrin Taylor Robson. It turns out RINOs travel in packs.”

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Arizona Democratic Party Extends ‘A Warm Thank You to Karrin Taylor Robson for Her Longtime Financial Support to Help Elect Democratic Candidates’

Rachel Alexander

The Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) issued a statement this recently thanking Karrin Taylor Robson for contributing money to Democrats in recent years while a Republican.

“The Arizona Democratic Party would like to extend a warm ‘thank you’ to Karrin Taylor Robson for her longtime financial support to help elect Democratic candidates up and down the ballot,” said the press release. The ADP said Robson is “a big funder of Arizona Democrats, funneling thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates as recently as 2020.”

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Arizona Planned Parenthood Demands Candidates Denounce Police Support in Order to Obtain Endorsement

Cooper Moran

Planned Parenthood Arizona’s political arm demands that candidates denounce the support of law enforcement groups in order to obtain the group’s endorsement.

According to a report from Axios, the group formally adopted a policy to require candidates to deny financial donations from law enforcement organizations and return any donations received.

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Arizona Gubernatorial Candidate Karrin Taylor Robson Unveils Economic Relief Plan amid Surging Inflation

Neil Jones

Arizona Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Karrin Taylor Robson recently unveiled her economic relief plan, which she would enact if elected as Arizona’s next governor.

“As we’re seeing today, Joe Biden’s inflation is a disaster for Arizona families. I’ve put together an economic plan which focuses on working families – and how we can best set them up for success,” tweeted Robson.

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Kari Lake Calls Out Fellow Republican Karrin Taylor Robson as Only GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Who Says There Was Not Election Fraud in 2020

Rachel Alexander

Election fraud is an important issue to Republican voters, but one of the Republican candidates for governor does not believe there was any fraud in the 2020 presidential election. During the PBS GOP gubernatorial primary debate last week, Trump-endorsed Kari Lake asked for a show of hands from the other three candidates regarding whether the 2020 election was “corrupt” and “stolen.” Only Karrin Taylor Robson did not raise her hand.

Instead, Robson tried to duck the question, responding, “I’m not going to play your stunt.” Moderator Ted Simons asked the candidates to explain why they believed the election was “rigged, stolen, or whatever the phrase might be.” Lake expounded, “It was corrupt and stolen. I’ve looked at the evidence, we did a forensic audit.” 

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Arizona Republican Gubernatorial Primary Race Reveals Divide Between Moderates and Conservatives as Ducey Endorses Robson

Rachel Alexander

The race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination has intensified over the recent days, as key candidates and political players make their moves to influence the outcome of the upcoming primary election. Former Congressman Matt Salmon’s exit and subsequent endorsement of Karrin Taylor Robson was followed by Gov. Doug Ducey, who offered the Phoenix-area businesswoman a full-throated statement of support of his own.

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Kari Lake Unveils New Campaign Ad Saying She Will Tackle Border Crisis: ‘Arizona Is Our Home’

Neil Jones

Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake recently unveiled a new campaign ad showcasing her plans to combat the border crisis if elected governor.

“My border policy is the most aggressive effective border policy this country has ever seen,” Lake told the Arizona Sun Times via text. “A couple of the sheriffs in Texas are finally understanding it and pushing the remedy that is right there in the constitution. When the federal government fails us in their duty to protect us under article 4 section 4, we have the remedy in article 1 section 10 of the constitution to protect our own citizens and stop the invasion.”

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On Salmon’s Exit, Founder of Arizona’s State House Freedom Caucus Urges ‘Principled, Stalwart Conservatives’ to Support Kari Lake for Governor

Rachel Alexander

In the wake of Matt Salmon’s exit from the Republican gubernatorial nomination race, State Representative Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) – founder of the Arizona Legislature’s House Freedom Caucus – issued a statement urging the former state representative’s supporters to switch their support to Kari Lake.

With Salmon out of the running, the Arizona race for governor is down to two major candidates on the Republican side.

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Matt Salmon Drops Out of Arizona Governor’s Race, Immediately Endorses Karrin Taylor Robson

Neil Jones

Former Rep. Matt Salmon ended his bid for Arizona Governor’s chair in a statement released Tuesday, and not 24 hours later, endorsed Republican candidate Karrin Taylor Robson.

“To the Arizonans who supported my campaign: We may not have won this Republican primary, but our shared values can still emerge victorious if we stand behind a candidate with the temperament and experience to govern Arizona. Karrin Taylor Robson is that candidate,” said Salmon.

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Leading Arizona Gubernatorial Candidate Kari Lake Celebrates First Anniversary of Campaign on a ‘Lakefront’: ‘We’ve Set So Many Records’

Rachel Alexander

Trump-endorsed Kari Lake celebrated the one year anniversary of launching her leading Arizona gubernatorial campaign Wednesday with a party. Still leading her Republican primary opponents by double digits, she told the crowd of her top supporters at the Pleasant Harbor Marina in Peoria, which she referred to as a “Lake front,” that the campaign has broken multiple records. 

Lake brought the crowd to laughter multiple times, especially describing her opponents. She characterized one of the other Republican candidates, Karrin Taylor Robson, “If John McCain had a baby with Liz Cheney, who grew up to marry a 95-year-old billionaire.” Taylor Robson is “frail, nervous; a RINO who puts millions into deceptive ads, trying to buy the election.” 

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Kari Lake Outraises Democratic Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’ in Gubernatorial Race During First Quarter of 2022

Rachel Alexander

Democrats are mostly resigned to supporting Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs as their candidate for Arizona governor, despite the fact she admitted to participating in furthering systemic racism, by firing a black staffer which resulted in a $2.5 million dollar jury verdict. Yet despite the near consensus supporting Hobbs, her fundraising numbers were stagnant for the first quarter of 2022.

Hobbs triumphantly issued a press release after compiling her total fundraising numbers for 2021, nearly $3 million. But she hasn’t gained any momentum despite the party starting to coalesce around her; during the first quarter of 2022 she raised about $750,000, which is in line with the same rate she raised money last year. A Democratic insider told The Arizona Sun Times in January that the party was resigned to Hobbs getting the nomination, yet there was no bump to reflect this.

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Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Katie Hobbs Seemingly Flip-Flops Position on Title 42

Cooper Moran
Katie Hobbs

Democrat gubernatorial hopeful Katie Hobbs is, again, facing intense blowback during her campaign, as she seemingly flip-flopped her position on Title 42. 

Title 42 is a public health order from the Trump administration that allowed border officials to turn away individuals due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. President Joe Biden’s administration is seeking to end the policy.

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Kari Lake Calls Primary Opponent ‘Doug Ducey in a Dress’

Rachel Alexander

The Arizona gubernatorial race is heating up in the Republican primary, as candidates attempt to distinguish themselves from each other. Former news anchor Kari Lake, who is leading in polling and has Donald Trump’s endorsement, has been calling out Karrin Taylor Robson’s record, referring to her as “Doug Ducey in a dress.” Lake is highly critical of Ducey’s record on COVID-19 restrictions, lack of action on border security, and, she says, being weak on election integrity.

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Arizona Gubernatorial Candidate Kari Lake Still Polling Higher Than All Other GOP Candidates in the Race Combined

Rachel Alexander

A new poll in the Arizona gubernatorial race shows Trump-endorsed Kari Lake still far ahead of other Republican candidates in the race, and the only Republican beating the Democratic frontrunner, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, in the general election. Arizona-based pollster Data Orbital found that Lake has 36.5% of the support of Republicans, with her nearest competitor Matt Salmon at 13%. 

“President Trump knows how to pick winners, and new polling proves the President was correct, once again,” Lake said in a statement. She told the Arizona Sun Times, “This is a huge poll. These fools have been saying I can’t win in the general election, when this poll shows THEY can’t win. First poll released that shows general election match ups.”

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Kari Lake Campaign for Governor Raises Almost Three Times More Money as Pundits Predicted

Rachel Alexander

The Kari Lake campaign for governor continues its strong momentum, raising $1,462,115 in 2021 according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s campaign finance database. Two of her Republican opponents brought in more money, but both are funding their campaigns with millions of their own dollars. Steve Gaynor reported $5,009,655, which came almost entirely from his own funds, and Karrin Taylor Robson raised about the same amount as Lake, with almost another $2 million added of her own money. Matt Salmon brought in a little over a million.

Lake told The Arizona Sun Times, “I am thrilled by our fundraising. The pundits expected us to only raise $500,000. We raised nearly $1.5 million. Our swampy opponents hired up all of the political fundraisers in town in order to starve us from being able to raise money. But the people stepped up and made donations because they know in me, they have the first politician to run for governor who will truly represent the people of Arizona.”

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