WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Mike Pence on Monday endorsed Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson, placing him at odds with former President Donald Trump, who’s backing one other GOP contender, Kari Lake.
“As Arizona Democrats pursue the reckless Biden-Harris agenda, Karrin Taylor Robson is the only candidate for Governor that will keep Arizona’s border secure and streets safe, empower parents and create great schools, and promote conservative values,” Pence mentioned in an announcement shared by Robson’s marketing campaign in a tweet.
Robson “is the best choice for Arizona’s future, and I am proud to support her,” Pence added in the assertion. His endorsement comes about two weeks earlier than the state’s major election.
Pence will seem in Arizona on Friday alongside Robson at a border safety occasion with Brandon Judd, the president of the National Border Patrol Council, which has endorsed Robson.
Robson praised the previous vice chairman, calling him “a warrior for the sanctity of Life; limited government; law & order; opportunity for all; & the knowledge that our freedoms are granted by God.”
“Modern politics is full of charlatans & fakes, but VP Pence is the genuine article,” she added. “He has never wavered in his conservative beliefs & commitment to our Constitution, & left a rock-solid legacy as Gov to which I will aspire.”
The gubernatorial major race has develop into a proxy conflict between supporters of Trump, who has hinted at working for president once more in 2024, and the GOP institution, together with Pence, who may additionally launch a bid for the GOP major. This is not Pence’s first split from Trump in a serious GOP major. In Georgia’s gubernatorial race, Pence endorsed incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp, who wound up profitable the nomination, whereas Trump-backed former Sen. David Perdue misplaced.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a critic of Trump, has additionally endorsed Robson to succeed him. He criticized Lake in an interview Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” saying her Trump-mimicking claims that the 2020 election was stolen “is all an act. She’s been putting on a show for some time now. And we will see if the voters of Arizona buy it.”
Lake has been the front-runner since coming into the competition, although Robson has spent considerably extra money and earned different prime GOP endorsements in the state as she has mounted a comeback in some polling in current weeks.
