Republican Steve Gaynor announces 2022 Arizona governor run

PHOENIX — Steve Gaynor announced Friday his candidacy for Arizona governor in 2022, one election cycle after he was narrowly defeated by Katie Hobbs for secretary of state.

The Republican, a career businessman, said he wants to bring an outside perspective to the role set to be vacated by Doug Ducey, who is term limited.

“Career politicians and political insiders have gotten us into this, but they can’t get us out,” Gaynor said in his announcement. “Sound bites and slick answers telling us what we want to hear just to win elections just won’t cut it anymore.”

Gaynor in 2019 founded Fair Maps Arizona, a nonprofit that intends to “ensure the Independent Redistricting Commission draws maps in 2021 that comply with the Arizona Constitution and are fair to all Arizonans.”

He said he will “continue that work until the job is done.”

Gaynor lost to Hobbs by about 20,000 votes in 2018. The Associated Press prematurely called the race in Gaynor’s favor on Election Day, when he was leading by 44,000 votes.

He joins an already crowded Republican field.

Partymates Kimberly Yee, Arizona treasurer; former TV news anchor Kari Lake; Karrin Taylor Robson of the Arizona Board of Regents; and former legislator Matt Salmon previously declared they were running for the job.

Hobbs and former Nogales Mayor Marco Lopez highlight the Democratic side.

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