Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey mum on endorsing his successor

PHOENIX – With less than a month to go until Arizona’s primary election, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey remains mum on his preferred successor.

“I’ve said that I reserve the right to endorse someone in this primary, so more to follow on that. I’m watching the race,” the Republican told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Wednesday.

Ducey, who can’t run for reelection because of term limits, said as co-chair of the Republican Governors Association he was “in the business of electing Republican governors and that includes the state of Arizona.”

Ducey’s predecessor, Republican Jan Brewer, publicly endorsed one of his opponents, former Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, 19 days before the 2014 primary.

Former TV new anchor Kari Lake continues to lead businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson in OH Predictive Insights polling of likely party voters released Wednesday, 40%-35%.

Early voting for the Aug. 2 primary started Wednesday, when the first voting centers opened and mail ballots were sent out.

The future direction of the state, Ducey said, would be determined by the voters over the next weeks “and through this election cycle on Nov. 8 [the general election].”

In the meantime, he said, “I’m going to make sure that every judicial appointment is filled, every committee, every board is going to have good, responsible conservative leaders,” Ducey said.

Other races matter to him as well, statewide and beyond.

“I think we’re going to take back the majority in the [U.S.] House of Representatives,” pointing to southern Arizona candidate Juan Ciscomani, who had been endorsed by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

“I think we’re going to take back the majority in the Senate, as well. … We’re on the offense.”

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