PHOENIX – Former Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Karyn Taylor Robeson stressed that her decision to endorse presidential candidate Donald Trump and his 2022 primary rival Kali Lake was ultimately driven by policy.
“It’s a binary choice,” Robeson told The Post, noting that he supported Trump in 2016 and 2020.
“Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. If you look at the conservative or Republican vision for America and the Democratic vision, they are two very different visions,” she continued, suggesting voters “ignore personality.”
“I do not agree with Kamala Harris’ vision for America at all – big government, an expanding regulatory state, higher taxes, price controls, open borders and chaos on our streets. That is not my vision for America. I want a safe and secure America,” she added.
Meanwhile, Harris’ campaign in Arizona is trying to counter messaging on border security and the economy, as those issues remain top of the campaign agenda there.
“The choice in this election is clear: Donald Trump is focused on himself and not on improving the life of the American people. That’s why he’s planning to tear up the toughest and fairest border security deal in decades for his own personal gain and increase working families’ taxes by $3,900 a year,” Delaney Corcoran, a campaign spokeswoman for the Arizona Democratic Party, told The Washington Post.
“Vice President Harris will never stop fighting to keep our communities safe and ensure everyone can not just survive, but thrive.”
Meanwhile, Robeson endorsed Trump and Lake after Lake’s victory over Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in the July primary was good news for the Senate campaign, The Washington Post reported.
Robeson’s endorsement drew criticism from Democrats and some commentators, with one article stating that she “Shame on me” With the decision.
“I think it’s only natural. It’s a reflection of the media,” Robson said of the backlash.
“You need to have a strong mind. When you go into politics, people are going to attack you. But at the end of the day, you decide what’s right and what’s wrong based on your philosophy and your view of the world,” she added, referring to the heated primary election between her and Lake in 2022.
The two were bitter rivals throughout the 2022 primary, with Lake ultimately winning the Republican nomination with 48% of the vote to Robeson’s 43%. Lake ultimately lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs.
Lake will face Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego in November.
“He’s trying to make a big change from where we are, like Kamala Harris, right? Ruben Gallego was a member of the Progressive Caucus his entire career in Washington until he decided to run for the United States Senate,” Robeson said.
Harris and Gallego recently launched a Republican group in hopes of attracting a large segment of Arizona’s swing voters, and Lake announced a coalition with the Democrats days later.
In an interview with KPNX Earlier this week, Robeson said he was open-minded about future actions, given rumors he may run for governor again in 2026.
Robeson said for now, the main focus of her group, Arizona PAC, is maintaining Republican control of the Arizona Legislature, where they only have a one-seat majority in each chamber.
“If we fail this time, that right will be gone and Arizona will become a state we don’t recognize,” Robeson warned Republicans, referring to a closely fought 2020 election in which Republican Gov. Doug Ducey would have been sworn in if Democrats had won a majority.
Hobbs is currently at the helm, due to take up the post in 2023.
“I say that with confidence because if you look at the bills that Democrats in the Arizona Legislature have introduced in the last few elections, you can see that this is no longer a theory, it’s a reality.”
“I think Arizona is a state that exists because of the work of Doug Ducey and conservative Republican legislators. We have the lowest flat tax rate in the country. We have a low tax environment in general. We have a low regulatory environment, lower than other states, so it’s an easy way to climb the ladder of success,” she said of the economy.
“So, compared to other states, we’re doing pretty well. But this won’t continue unless we maintain our congressional majority.”
Governor Ducey also endorsed Trump and Lake earlier this week despite their political differences following the results of the 2020 election.
