ARIZONA NEWS

What to watch: Trump effect looms large in Arizona’s primary election

Aug 2, 2022, 4:05 AM

Former President Donald Trump (L) stands with Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters at a campai...

Former President Donald Trump (L) stands with Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters at a campaign rally in support of Arizona GOP candidates on July 22, 2022 in Prescott Valley, Arizona. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Donald Trump’s endorsed candidates in Tuesday’s Republican primary election in Arizona all have one thing in common: They have loudly disseminated misinformation about the legitimacy of the 2020 election, despite election officials and Trump’s own attorney general saying there is no credible evidence the race was tainted.

In the governor’s race, Trump has backed former television news anchor Kari Lake, who has said that she would not have certified Arizona’s election results in 2020. Lake faces businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson, who is endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence and outgoing Gov. Doug Ducey.

Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a staunch defender of the 2020 election, is strongly favored to win the Democratic nomination for governor.

In the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, Trump has backed tech investor Blake Masters as the candidate to go up against Democratic incumbent Mark Kelly in the fall. Masters, whose campaign has been bankrolled by billionaire Peter Thiel, has called for reducing legal immigration and espoused the baseless “great replacement” conspiracy theory, claiming Democrats are trying to “replace Americans who were born here.”

Attorney General Mark Brnovich, another Senate candidate, has been weighed down by lackluster fundraising and fierce criticism from Trump, who says Brnovich did little to advance his election fraud claims. Another top candidate, Jim Lamon, the founder of a solar energy firm, was a fake elector for Trump in 2020, signing a certificate falsely saying that the then-president had won the state.

The Republican primary for secretary of state includes Trump-backed legislator Mark Finchem, a state representative who worked to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss; state Rep. Shawnna Bolick, who introduced a bill to let legislators ignore election results and choose their own presidential electors; and state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, who has long pushed to overhaul election laws. The GOP establishment has rallied around advertising executive Beau Lane in the race.

Ron Watkins, who has ties to the QAnon conspiracy theory, is considered a long shot in his House run. Watkins, a Republican, served as the longtime administrator of the online message boards that became the home of the anonymous “Q.” The conspiracy theory is centered around the baseless belief that Trump waged a secret campaign against enemies in the “deep state” and that a group of satanic, cannibalistic child molesters secretly runs the globe.

In the state Legislature, Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who testified at a Jan. 6 hearing about Trump’s pressure to overturn the 2020 election, faces a Trump-backed candidate in his bid to run for the state Senate.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Southwest Human Development...

KTAR.com

New Head Start early education center set to open in Phoenix

Southwest Human Development will host an open house for a new Head Start campus in Phoenix next week.

28 minutes ago

caution tape...

KTAR.com

Woman charged with murdering her husband in west Valley home

A woman is behind bars for allegedly murdering her husband in their west Valley home, according to police.

2 hours ago

(Twitter Photo)...

KTAR.com

Police investigating deadly shooting near ASU West campus

Police are investigating an incident in Glendale that left one man dead and another man hospitalized on Friday night.

4 hours ago

Leslie Kerekes...

KTAR.com

Silver Alert issued for 64-year-old woman with dementia canceled

A Silver Alert was issued for a 64-year-old woman with dementia last seen on Friday, authorities said.

6 hours ago

Dutch Bros....

Damon Allred

Diversified Partners to break ground on The Shops in Glendale

The Shops, which will include a new Dutch Bros., is set to break ground on its Glendale development on Monday morning.

7 hours ago

Photo of the new Fazoli's scheduled to open in Mesa, Arizona....

Kevin Stone

Fazoli’s set to open first street-side location since returning to Phoenix market

Italian fast-casual restaurant Fazoli's is set to debut its first street-side location since returning to the metro Phoenix market.

8 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Follow @iamdamonallred...

Avoid a potential emergency and get your home’s heating and furnace safety checked

With the weather getting colder throughout the Valley, the best time to make sure your heating is all up to date is now. 

Follow @KTAR923...

The best ways to honor our heroes on Veterans Day and give back to the community

Veterans Day is fast approaching and there's no better way to support our veterans than to donate to the Military Assistance Mission.

Follow @KTAR923...

West Hunsaker at Morris Hall supports Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona

KTAR's Community Spotlight this month focuses on Morris Hall and its commitment to supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona.

What to watch: Trump effect looms large in Arizona’s primary election