PHOENIX — The TV split screen out of Arizona on Friday will capture the greatest test to date of former President Donald Trump's hold on the Republican Party.
Trump's former vice president, Mike Pence, will campaign with Republican candidate for Arizona governor Karrin Taylor Robson in central and southern Arizona, the Robson campaign announced Monday.
Pence’s good friend, two-term Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, gave Taylor Robson his blessing two weeks ago.
Later Friday, Trump will lead a northern Arizona rally for Taylor Robson's primary opponent, Kari Lake, a former TV news anchor in Phoenix.
Lake has relentlessly promoted the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. Lake has declared it's her No. 1 issue.
Joining Trump and Lake onstage at a Prescott Valley arena will be other Trump-endorsed election deniers, running for secretary of state, the state’s top elections officer; attorney general, the state’s top law enforcement officer; and the U.S. Senate.
The Lake campaign responded to the Pence endorsement:
"We’d like to thank former Vice President Pence... for clearly reminding Arizonans that the choice in this race is between President Trump, Kari Lake, and the America First movement versus Robson, Ducey, and the Arizona Swamp. Arizonans are tired of weak leaders and RINOs, and we are confident the America First team will be victorious on Aug. 2."
Early voting in Arizona’s primaries started July 6. The primary election is Aug. 2.
Trump Lost Georgia Showdown
The Arizona showdown comes two months after Pence, Ducey and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (also a Taylor Robson endorser) campaigned for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp during his primary against Trump-endorsed former Sen. David Perdue.
Kemp thrashed Perdue by more than 50 points, winning every county in Georgia.
Trump lost Arizona and Georgia to Democrat Joe Biden by narrow margins in 2020. Those are also the two states where he pushed back hardest at the results, with documented efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the outcomes.
For Trump and, perhaps, Pence, the showdown is personal.
Witnesses have told the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection that Trump appeared to support hanging Pence during the attack on the Capitol.
Pence hasn't publicly responded to the testimony.
The former vice president has been exploring his options for a 2024 run for president, as Trump sends signals he'll announce his own candidacy soon.
Polling: Arizona Primary is Tight
The Arizona GOP primary for governor is shaping up as a much closer race than the Georgia primary.
Recent polling indicates Lake holds a four-point lead over Taylor Robson, 39 percent to 35.3 percent.
The two other candidates are polling in the low single digits. Undecided voters account for 20 percent of the total.
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