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

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

Kari Lake released her new book, Unafraid: Just Getting Started, on Tuesday. 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.

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Kelli Ward May Not Seek Reelection as Chairman of Arizona GOP

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

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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Arizona Governor Doug Ducey Congratulates Kari Lake on Her GOP Gubernatorial Primary Victory

After campaigning on behalf of her opponent, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) said Saturday that he and the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA), which he co-chairs, are backing Kari Lake. 

“The votes are counted, the races are settled, and the Arizona Republican primary is over.  Thank you to all who participated — it’s not easy subjecting yourself to the scrutiny of being a candidate these days,” Ducey said. “This is going to be an important election given the issues our state is facing and it’s important for Arizona Republicans to unite behind our slate of candidates.”

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Kari Lake’s Margin of Victory Increases as More Votes Counted

After political watchers and analysts agree that Kari Lake won the Republican nomination for Arizona governor Thursday night, the political newcomer’s margin of victory continues to grow while more votes are counted.

According to reports from Friday, 98 percent of the primary votes have been counted, and Lake now leads by a margin of 47.7 percent to opponent Karrin Taylor Robson’s 43.4 percent.

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

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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Lake Campaign Calls for Republican Unity After Winning Primary

Kari Lake’s campaign says it’s a new day in Arizona politics after the candidate was declared the victor in her primary race for the governor’s office. 

“It’s morning again in Arizona,” Lake Chief Strategist Billy Grant told The Arizona Sun Times Thursday. “Kari is totally focused on uniting this party and defeating Katie Hobbs.”

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Kari Lake Wins Primary After Days of Vote Counting

After an arduous two days of vote counting in Arizona, Trump-backed Republican Kari Lake Thursday night was declared the winner of the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary. 

“Though the results took longer than they should have, Arizonans who have been forgotten by the establishment just delivered a political earthquake,” Lake said in statement after the race was called in her favor. “My opponent Katie Hobbs had one job in government, and that was to ensure an efficiently-processed election. She failed spectacularly, and yet just like every other failed establishment politician, she now wants a promotion. Arizona just sent a clear message: our state is done with failed politicians like Katie Hobbs.”

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Kari Lake Wins Primary After Days of Vote Counting

After an arduous two days of vote counting in Arizona, Trump-backed Republican Kari Lake Thursday night was declared the winner of the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary. 

“Though the results took longer than they should have, Arizonans who have been forgotten by the establishment just delivered a political earthquake,” Lake said in statement after the race was called in her favor. “My opponent Katie Hobbs had one job in government, and that was to ensure an efficiently-processed election. She failed spectacularly, and yet just like every other failed establishment politician, she now wants a promotion. Arizona just sent a clear message: our state is done with failed politicians like Katie Hobbs.”

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Trump-Endorsed Candidates Sweep Arizona; Lake Declares Victory as Final Vote Count Trickles In

After a large increase Tuesday’s primary election voters cast their ballots in person – which are tabulated last – Kari Lake and every other Trump-endorsed candidate in Arizona all appear to have won their primary races. Approximately 97 percent of all precincts have submitted their results. According to ABC-15’s “Data Guru” Garrett Archer, there are 186,067 ballots outstanding, including 112,000 from Maricopa County and 41,968 from Pima County. Maricopa County’s results usually mirror the state’s results.

Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward, who has been very concerned about the possibility of voter fraud, expressed her frustration that all the votes had not been counted yet. She tweeted Wednesday night at the Maricopa County Elections Department, which is run by County Recorder Stephen Richer, “We all know that @MaricopaVote is ridiculous. Get the results, you fools.”

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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’

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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Kari Lake Declares Victory in Arizona GOP Gubernatorial Primary

Kari Lake’s campaign declared its victory Wednesday afternoon, and said it never had a doubt Tuesday night that she would be the Republican nominee for governor of Arizona.

With 125,000 votes still left to be counted, the Lake campaign says it knows the outcome of the race.

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Arizona GOP Gubernatorial Primary Race Too Close to Call Election Night, House Speaker Rusty Bowers Trailing by 22 Points

By midnight on primary election night, Aug. 2, with 82 percent of precincts reporting, the Arizona Republican primary race for governor was too close to call. The early ballots were counted first, showing Karrin Taylor Robson in the lead by several points, but local reporter Jeremy Duda, who has covered elections in Arizona for years, tweeted that the type of voters who would favor Trump-endorsed Kari Lake were far more likely this year to vote on election day than by early ballot. This is because of concern over ballot fraud, especially with mail-in ballots.

As of 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, Lake held a narrow lead of 46 percent to 44 percent over Robson with 635,000 votes counted and an additional 125,000 votes (a combined total from both the GOP and Democrat primaries) expected to be counted some time later in the day.

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

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

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

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

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

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’

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

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

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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National Border Patrol Council Endorses Arizona Gubernatorial Candidate Karrin Taylor Robson

The National Border Patrol Council, which represents the roughly 18,000 Border Patrol agents and support personnel, endorsed Karrin Taylor Robson to become Arizona’s Governor.

The group, which lobbies heavily for border security, opted to support Robson in the GOP primary, instead of contender Kari Lake.

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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

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

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’

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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Ducey Endorses Robson for Arizona Governor

Gov. Doug Ducey (R), whose second term as Arizona’s governor will expire in January, has endorsed his potential replacement. 

“She’s a native Arizonan and lifelong Republican who got her start working for President Reagan,” Ducey said of candidate Karrin Taylor Robson. 

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Former President Trump Encourages Arizona Supporters to Vote for Kari Lake in GOP Gubernatorial Primary

As early voting has started in Arizona, former President Donald Trump encouraged his supporters to vote for Kari Lake in the GOP gubernatorial primary.

Lake is running to replace Governor Doug Ducey, who cannot seek another four years due to term limits. She is facing businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson. 

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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

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

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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Kari Lake Leads Arizona GOP Gubernatorial Primary by 12 Points in New Poll

New polling gives Kari Lake a 12-point lead over her competition in the Arizona GOP gubernatorial primary, according to the Trafalgar Group.

The survey, which spoke to more than 1,000 likely Republican voters in the state, showed Lake at 38.5 percent. Her closest competitor, Karrin Taylor Robson, picked up 26.7 percent.

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

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

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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Kari Lake, Karrin Taylor Robson Remain Leaders in GOP Gubernatorial Race, New Poll Finds

Kari Lake and Karrin Taylor Robson remain the top two leaders in the Arizona GOP gubernatorial primary, new polling finds.

The survey, administered by The Trafalgar Group, gave Lake 38 percent of the support and Taylor Robson 27 percent. Former Congressman Mat Salmon picked up almost 11 percent.

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

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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America Pack’s Arizona GOP Gubernatorial Debate: Lake Calls Out Missing Robson, Salmon Explains China Ties

Three of the four major Republican gubernatorial candidates faced off Friday night in a debate hosted by the grassroots group, America Pack. Trump-endorsed Kari Lake, Matt Salmon, and Steve Gaynor participated. Karrin Taylor-Robson, after indicating she would attend, canceled.

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

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

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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New Poll Finds Kari Lake Remains Arizona GOP Gubernatorial Frontrunner, Opponents Increase Support

A new poll shows Arizona GOP gubernatorial contender Kari Lake remains the Republican frontrunner, but her opponents are gaining ground.

According to the analysis from OH Predictive Insights (OHPI), Lake’s poll numbers have not shown “meaningful” growth during the last three surveys.

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

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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Arizona Gubernatorial Candidate Karrin Taylor Robson Hauls in More Than $3 Million During Fundraising Quarter

Karrin Taylor Robson

Arizona gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson hauled in more than $3 million during the previous fundraising quarter, according to a press release from her campaign.

The overwhelming majority of the funds, 87 percent, came from residents of the state, as the campaign amassed more than 15,000 individual donors.

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Two Former Arizona Governors Endorse Karrin Taylor Robson in GOP Gubernatorial Campaign

Fife Symington, Karrin Taylor Robson and Jan Brewer

Former Arizona Governors Jan Brewer and Fife Symington on Monday both endorsed Karrin Taylor Robson in the crowded GOP Gubernatorial primary campaign.

During the campaign, the two former governors will serve as co-chairs for Robson, a businesswoman and member of the Arizona Board of Regents.

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