President Donald Trump made the Arizona gubernatorial race more complicated this week by endorsing a second pick in the Republican primary.
“I like Karrin Taylor Robson of Arizona a lot, and when she asked me to Endorse her, with nobody else running, I Endorsed her, and was happy to do so,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Monday. Robson, a conservative woman, lost to MAGA star Kari Lake in the 2022 GOP primary.
“When Andy Biggs decided to run for Governor, quite unexpectedly, I had a problem,” Trump continued. Biggs is known for his loyalty to Trump and his at-times contrarian role in the House. Back in 2023, he was one of a handful of congressmen to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Trump’s double endorsement has created an unprecedented competitive landscape in the race, in a state already known for races that are too close to call.
Biggs and Robson react to double endorsement
Biggs graduated from Brigham Young University in 1982, then went on to earn a master’s and Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arizona.
He is one of nine members of Congress who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he was part of the Latter-day Saints for Trump coalition that supported the president in the 2024 election.
“Two fantastic candidates, two terrific people, two wonderful champions, and it is therefore my Great Honor TO GIVE MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT TO BOTH,” Trump wrote in his post.
For Biggs, the endorsement was confirmation of his alliance with the president.
“I think it’s reflective of what I believed all along, and that is that President Trump and I have a strong relationship,” he said in an interview with KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday.
Biggs added he didn’t think the double endorsement made it any less meaningful.
“I don’t know what my opponent’s relationship with the president is, but I know my relationship with the president is strong,” he said. Biggs received an endorsement from Trump in 2024 during the primary and general election for his House seat.
Trump, who won Arizona — a “purple” swing state — by more than 5 percentage points in 2024 after losing the state to former President Joe Biden in 2020, encouraged Robson to jump in the race in 2026 while delivering his victory speech in Phoenix in December.
“Karrin, are you running for governor? I think so, Karrin,” Trump said. “Because if you do, you’re going to have my support.”
But the staunchest of his supporters didn’t like this move, accusing Robson of being a part of “the Arizona Swamp.”
Among the critics was Arizona state Sen. Jake Hoffman. “(Trump) should fire whichever consultant or staffer told him to endorse the UniParty McCain network candidate for AZ Governor,” Hoffman said in a post on X.
“She lost the 2022 primary for a reason. Arizona doesn’t want her open borders, pro-amnesty liberal policies,” he added.
Robson lost the GOP nomination for governor by more than 17,000 votes in 2022. She didn’t have Trump’s endorsement, which went to Lake instead. But Robson did earn the support of former Vice President Mike Pence.
After a losing attempt, Robson launched another campaign for Arizona governor in February and this time around, she made it no secret that Trump’s endorsement was her biggest asset.
As reporting at the time noted, she mentioned Trump by name 12 times in her 59-second announcement video. She also named the president’s son and daughter-in-law. Earlier this week, she welcomed Trump’s message with open arms with a thank you and a reaffirmation of the president’s support for her.
“I cannot wait to be on the ninth floor as a partner to his America First agenda,” she added.
Why did Trump make 2 endorsements
This isn’t the first time Trump made a dual endorsement. He threw his support behind “Eric” in the Republican primary for Missouri’s open Senate seat. However, there turned out to be two GOP candidates with the same first name, which led to a whole lot of confusion. According to The Associated Press, he made a triple endorsement last year in Missouri’s gubernatorial race; he supported Jay Ashcroft, Bill Eigel and Gov. Mike Kehoe.
It’s possible Trump doesn’t want to ruffle any feathers in Arizona, also the stomping grounds of Turning Point USA, an organization headquartered in Arizona that drove the youth vote in the last election.
Biggs, a firebrand and a member of the House Freedom Caucus, has TPUSA’s backing. But Robson is the state Republican Party’s candidate of choice.
“TPUSA sees Arizona as their backyard, where they have ‘an opportunity to grow their brand, organization and effectiveness,’” Chuck Coughlin, the CEO of High Ground, a political consulting firm in Arizona, previously told the Deseret News.
Coughlin added, “That’s going to create a competitive primary.”