A battle is emerging in the state of Arizona as former local TV news anchor Kari Lake and former Board of Regents member Karrin Taylor Robson fight to become the Republican nominee for governor. With Robson announcing former Vice President Mike Pence’s support for her campaign on Monday, the Arizona Republican primary became the second statewide proxy competition between Pence and former President Donald Trump.
I am honored to announce the endorsement of former Vice President @Mike_Pence.
He has been a warrior for the sanctity of Life; limited government; law & order; opportunity for all; & the knowledge that our freedoms are granted by God.
I’m proud to have him on my team. #AZgov pic.twitter.com/7u680Z7CDU
— Karrin Taylor Robson for Arizona (@Karrin4Arizona) July 18, 2022
Lake received Trump’s endorsement in September and is an outspoken supporter of his claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. Her campaign rests on the assumption that voters won’t do their own research and will immediately buy into her election fraud narratives.
Despite railing against drag queens on social media, Lake has been photographed posing with one. When called out by Fox News anchor Bret Baier on these claims, Lake proceeded to have a meltdown and repeatedly referred to her support for Trump’s election fraud claims as if it shielded her from criticism.
“I’m appalled that you would bring that up when you have not talked about our stolen election,” Lake said.
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor, and her campaign is utilizing Lake’s rhetoric in campaign messaging. The Arizona Democratic Party is going as far as boosting Lake’s campaign at Robson’s expense in the belief that Hobbs would have an easier time defeating Lake in a general election.
To no one’s surprise, @KariLake’s obsession with an election that happened almost two years ago is once again on full display. It’s time to move on and tackle real issues that Arizonans actually care about. #AZGOV
— Katie Hobbs (@katiehobbs) June 30, 2022
Pence’s support for Robson comes during the closing days of the primary. Early voting has already begun in Arizona, and Election Day is Aug. 2. The former vice president is not the only Republican with clout who recently stepped into the race. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey endorsed Robson on July 7, just one day after early voting began.
Trump and Pence previously clashed in the Georgia Republican primary. Pence backed incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp against Trump’s candidate of choice, former U.S. Sen. David Perdue. However, the fight in Georgia was highly uncompetitive, as Kemp was polling far ahead of Perdue before Pence endorsed him.
By entering the fight for Arizona, Pence has an opportunity to prove whether he still has influence among Republican voters. Polling shows Lake and Robson in a statistical tie, and undecided voters will likely decide who becomes the Republican nominee. Robson had been seen as the underdog, but by no means is Lake guaranteed victory. If Ducey and Pence can push Robson over the finish line, Republican donors and voters will see firsthand the viability of non-Trump candidates in purple states.
The 2024 presidential election is likely playing a factor in Pence’s decision to endorse Robson. Arizona will serve as a crucial battleground state in both the Republican primary and the general election. Pence will have a surrogate who can support him in a contested Republican primary if Robson is elected governor.
Let’s focus on the short term for now. If Lake is the Republican nominee for governor of Arizona, Trump will have another victory in his lies surrounding the 2020 presidential election. Arizona is the first major litmus test for Mike Pence. If he cannot assist Ducey in handing Robson the Republican nomination, Pence will prove that the base is still reliant on Trump. Should Pence prove the former president wrong, he will have earned his first major victory in the fight for the GOP.
James Sweet is a summer 2022 Washington Examiner fellow.
