Lake takes slight lead over Taylor Robson for Republican nomination in Arizona governor race

PHOENIX — Kari Lake overtook Karrin Taylor Robson early Wednesday in the race to secure Arizona’s Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Lake led by 11,324 votes, according to the official primary election results.

She previously led by about 2,000 votes after a large batch of votes, including from Maricopa County, were released.

It was a stark change from the first results release Tuesday night, when Taylor Robson had 49.2% of votes compared to Lake’s 40.3%. Taylor Robson’s lead was 40,000 votes after the first drop but dwindled as more results came in.

Lake entered Tuesday’s primary after consistently leading Taylor Robson in the polls over the past few months.

She announced her run in June 2021, just a few months after leaving Fox 10 following more than two decades at the station.

Taylor Robson, the housing developer and onetime member of the Arizona Board of Regents, announced her run in May 2021.

Lake was able to get the endorsement from Donald Trump by repeatedly pushing unfounded claims that the 2020 election was stolen from the former president.

Trump’s former Vice President, Mike Pence, put his support behind Taylor Robson for the office, with the prior running mates holding competing campaign events for their candidates in late July.

Term-limited Gov. Doug Ducey and former U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon, who dropped out of the race June 28, also threw their support behind Taylor Robson for the office.

Taylor Robson outspent Lake $18.4 million to $3.6 million during the run of the campaign, according to finance reports.

She spent nearly $2 million in the first half of July and loaned herself another $1.85 million during that time, bringing her reported self-funding total to $15.2 million.

Paola Tulliani Zen and Scott Neely stayed in the GOP race until Election Day despite low polling numbers.

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