Trump, Pence duke it out on AZ Guv’s race

Status of endorsers outranks candidates

Former President Donald Trump and his former Vice President Mike Pence have staked out Arizona’s Republican governor’s primary election as a battleground both for their own chosen candidates but with more than a whiff of personal competitiveness in the air. They are both considered 2024 presidential candidates.

On Friday evening Trump spoke in Prescott Valley supporting former newscaster Kari Lake as Pence addressed a crowd in Peoria, AZ declaring, “No one worked harder for the Trump/Pence ticket in 2016 and 2020 than Karrin Taylor Robson,” as he highlighted her fundraising for the GOP ticket.

There’s as much at stake for the endorsers as the candidates as Pence hopes to score another win against Trump in the endorsement category. In an unexpected 2022 drubbing, Pence supported Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who made quick work (73.7% – 21.8%) of Trump-supported challenger, former Sen. David Perdue in the May 24, 2022 primary.

Lake, a former Obama donor and supporter, who twice left the Republican Party to become a democrat, has magically morphed into a conservative in time to run for governor, a job for which she has neither background nor capabilities. Karrin Kunasek Taylor Robson characterizes herself as a political outsider, though her family is enmeshed in Arizona politics.  Former Congressman Matt Salmon recently dropped out of the race.

Pence and Taylor Robson also visited the National Border Patrol Council’s office in Tucson. The Border Patrol union has previously supported Trump. Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council has endorsed Taylor Robson in the governor’s race.