BOWING OUT: One Republican candidate drops out of Arizona governor’s race

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From Politico: One of two Republican candidates for Arizona governor endorsed by President Donald Trump is dropping out of the race to lead the battleground state.

Karrin Taylor Robson, an attorney and business executive, announced Thursday that she would suspend her campaign to take on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in November.

Her exit leaves Rep. Andy Biggs, who was also endorsed by Trump, to take on fellow Republican Rep. David Schweikert in the primary.

In a statement ending her campaign, Robson cited the need to avoid “a divisive Republican primary that drains resources and turns into months of intraparty attacks.”

Robson announced her decision in a statement posted to X Thursday afternoon. Voicing her wish to avoid a divisive GOP primary, she said, “It only weakens our conservative cause and gives the left exactly what they want: a fractured Republican Party heading into November. With so much on the line in 2026, I am not willing to contribute to that outcome.”

“I remain committed to helping Republicans win in 2026 and to ensuring Arizona remains strong, safe, and free for generations to come,” Robson wrote.

President Donald Trump had given his endorsement to both Robson and Biggs, saying he liked them both.

Biggs has the backing of Turning Point USA, and has consistently led in the GOP primary polls.

After Robson suspended her campaign, Biggs released the following statement:

I want to thank Karrin Taylor Robson for a well-run campaign and for her many contributions to keeping our state red. Her experience as a businesswoman brought a valuable perspective to the race and her deep love for Arizona and its future has always been evident. Cindy and I send our best wishes to Karrin and her family in their next chapter.

This is a critical time for our party to unite and avoid a costly, divisive primary as the weak and ineffective Katie Hobbs continues to hurt Arizonans. Our campaign is now the only campaign endorsed by President Trump and Charlie Kirk, as well as dozens of state legislators and leaders across Arizona. We intend to win and defeat Katie Hobbs in November, but the time for Republicans to unite behind our campaign is now.

The late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk had endorsed Biggs for governor of Arizona last year, and held a rally with him in Phoenix on May 31.

Following the rally, Kirk posted a video of his speech on behalf of Biggs.

“To secure President Trump’s legacy we need to win in 2028. To do that, we need to lock down Arizona, and doing that starts with taking down Katie Hobbs and winning back the governor’s mansion. And nobody is better-equipped to do that than Rep. Andy Biggs. My speech at the TP Action Biggs for Governor rally,” he wrote.

On September 23, just 13 days after Kirk was assassinated in Utah, Biggs posted a video of the moment Kirk officially announced his endorsement during an in-studio interview.

“Receiving Charlie Kirk’s endorsement earlier this year was one of the best days of our campaign for Governor of Arizona. We’re going to win this, Charlie. There’s no doubt in my mind,” Biggs wrote.

In April of last year, Kirk had reacted with enthusiasm after Trump endorsed Biggs.

However, if polls are accurate, Biggs has a lot of work to do before the General Election, as Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs is currently in the lead.

READ MORE from Politico.

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