Early ballots for Arizona’s primary election were mailed last week, prompting a flurry of last-minute endorsements for candidates. Governor Doug Ducey, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former New Jersey Governor 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.”
She tweeted on Sunday, “It really is so sad to see @GOP Governor @DougDucey join the Propagandists at @CNN to blast Trump AND the Trump-Endorsed Republican candidate. I just can’t figure out why he doesn’t support our America First Movement. I hope the @RGA does!” In April, Lake called Robson “Doug Ducey in a dress.”
On CNN Sunday, Ducey told host Dana Bash, “This is all an act.” He went on, “She’s been putting on a show for some time now. And we will see if the voters of Arizona buy it.” He declared, “Karrin Taylor Robson is the real conservative.”
Robson has spent a lot of her campaign funds getting out the message claiming that Lake is RINO due to a $350 donation Lake made to Barack Obama in 2008 when Lake was a Democrat. Robson has contributed heavily to Democrats while a Republican, including bundling money for Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-07) recently.
Bash stated that Trump endorsed Lake largely because she believes the 2020 election was stolen. Ducey responded, “Well Kari Lake’s misleading voters with no evidence.” In contrast, Robson has said there was no election fraud, something Lake got her to admit during a debate.
Significant margins in every demographic except liberal, Democrat, moderate, the wealthiest, and highest education levels believe fraud was more likely than not in the 2022 election. A Monmouth University poll taken after the results of the independent Maricopa County ballot audit were presented last fall found that 73 percent of Republicans believe Joe Biden won the presidential election due to fraud.
Ducey also said that Robson is “pro-life.” However, while serving as a regent for ASU, Robson voted against a bill that the Arizona Legislature was considering – which is now law – banning abortions for fetal abnormalities like Down syndrome. He said Robson is “pro-wall,” but also while serving as a regent she voted to give illegal immigrants subsidized tuition at Arizona universities, lower than the rates American citizens pay in other states. Robson worked as a paid lobbyist for the leftist, open-borders Chicanos por la Causa in 2018.
Conservative filmmaker and author Dinesh D’Souza, who produced the documentary 2,000 Mules about ballot harvesting in Arizona and other battleground states, tweeted his disdain of Robson’s endorsements. “The fact that Ducey and Pence endorse her opponent is telling. This duo represents the tired old GOP – stale dullards who don’t know how to fight.”
Pundits are saying the race has become Trump versus Ducey “in heels.” Trump called Ducey “one of the worst governors in America” last year. Political consultant Tyler Montague, who is supporting Robson, admitted that Ducey’s “popularity is still pretty low so I don’t know that it’s a big home run.” Ducey has come under fire from the conservative base multiple times as governor due to COVID-19 restrictions, vetoing an election integrity bill, supporting red flag gun control laws, and more.
Ducey previously endorsed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in his re-election race, helping him successfully fend off a challenge from Trump-endorsed former Sen. David Perdue, but Kemp had the advantage of running as an incumbent. The race is also pitting Trump against Pence. Trump will appear at a rally with Lake on Friday, the same day Pence is scheduled to campaign with Robson.
The endorsements have largely come down to more moderate Republicans endorsing Robson and conservative, America First candidates endorsing Lake. Lake has consistently outraised Robson – excluding Robson’s funding from her husband – bringing in almost half a million more than Robson during the second quarter of 2022. However, adding in the funding from Robson’s husband, she’s outspent Lake more than 5 to 1. The primary election is August 2.
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Rachel Alexander is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Rachel on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Kari Lake” by The Kari Lake. Photo “Doug Ducey” by Governor Doug Ducey. Background Photo “Arizona State Capitol” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
