“Karrin Taylor Robson, a Republican running for governor of Arizona, said on Thursday that she was dropping out, a major shake-up of the party’s primary race and a sign of President Trump’s continued influence over GOP politics,” the New York Times reports.

“Ms. Taylor Robson, a wealthy developer and lawyer who had gained a reputation as a moderate Republican even as she worked to appeal to the party’s pro-Trump wing, had trailed Rep. Andy Biggs in most primary polls.”

“Though she earned Mr. Trump’s early endorsement, he later also bestowed his support to Mr. Biggs, who is far more aligned with the MAGA base that has determined recent Republican primary elections in Arizona.”

The man known as the QAnon shaman, Jacob Chansley, told the Times of London he plans to run for governor of Arizona.

Said Chansley: “Since I’m one of the only people that seem to have their wits about them and understand what’s actually going on in the world, it is up to me, as far as I’m concerned, to do something about these problems.”

He also called the Trump administration “a corrupt disaster,” pointing to a series of perceived betrayals including U.S. support for Israel and Donald Trump’s resistance to releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files. 

“Rep. David Schweikert will seek the Republican nomination for Arizona governor next year, leaving open a seat in Congress that could determine partisan control of the chamber,” the Arizona Republic reports.

Said Schweikert: “You can work as hard as you want. You can bring as much talent to your team as you possibly can. We have a body that can’t even pass its appropriation bills.” 

He added in an Axios interview: “I’ve grown to believe Washington is unsavable. I do believe Arizona is savable.“

Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) is considering running for governor instead of running for the House, Punchbowl News reports.

Schweikert, who was first elected in the gigantic GOP class of 2010, represents a swing district that is anchored in Scottsdale. Trump won the district by 3 points and Schweikert won by just shy of 4 points after millions of dollars of spending by both parties.

“Three of President Trump’s top political lieutenants are abandoning the campaign of Arizona gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson (R) amid a flap that led Trump to simultaneously endorse a second Republican in the 2026 primary,” Axios reports.

“The exodus from Robson’s campaign came after Trump’s advisers spent months urging her to air TV ads promoting his endorsement — which she’d promised to do.”

President Trump endorsed both Republican candidates in the 2026 Arizona gubernatorial race, throwing his support behind Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) after having already endorsed his competitor Karrin Taylor Robson (R).

“A judge on Monday dismissed the only remaining legal claim in Republican Kari Lake’s challenge of her loss in last year’s race for Arizona governor, affirming the election of Democrat Katie Hobbs,” the AP reports.

“Arizona’s top election official has asked the attorney general to investigate Kari Lake, the Republican candidate who lost her bid for governor in 2022, over potential campaign violations involving the disclosure of voter signatures,” the Washington Post reports.

“The complaint could set up a legal showdown in the battleground state between a prominent conservative election denier backed by Donald Trump and two newly elected Democrats who campaigned with messages of strengthening public trust in elections.”

“There’s not a darn reason we should’ve lost.”

— Kari Lake (R), on Steve Bannon’s podcast, coming close to finally admitting she lost the race for governor in Arizona.

“When Kari Lake lost the Arizona governor’s race in November, political experts generally agreed it was because she alienated Republican-leaning voters. A new analysis puts hard numbers on that phenomenon, showing Maricopa County voters who backed GOP candidates in less prominent races shunned Lake,” the Arizona Republic reports.

“Those decisions made a profound difference: Democrat Katie Hobbs picked up the support of 33,000 Maricopa County voters who cast ballots for Republicans in six down-ballot races, such as state treasurer and county attorney. Adding to Lake’s deficit were another nearly 6,000 Republican-leaning voters who opted to skip the race altogether or wrote in a candidate, the analysis found.”

“If those voters had stuck with the GOP ticket, Lake would have won. She lost by 17,117 votes statewide.”

“Kari Lake, the Republican candidate for governor in Arizona who made false election claims the centerpiece of her campaign, is starting a two-day trial on Wednesday as she presses to have her loss overturned,” the New York Times reports.

“Ms. Lake lost by around 17,000 votes to Katie Hobbs, the secretary of state, but sued Maricopa County and Ms. Hobbs to overturn the results under Arizona’s election contest statutes. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge is allowing two of her claims of misconduct by election officials to go forward, but eight other claims were dismissed. A ruling is likely soon afterward.”

Arizona Republic: Kari Lake “excited” over election trial but Katie Hobbs won’t have to testify.

Washington Post: “Interviews, internal documents and voting data point to the reasons behind her defeat: The candidate, so focused on parroting Trump and settling personal scores, failed to execute on a plan to court the independents and centrist Republicans who decide elections in Arizona, once a red state that now gleams purple.”

“As advisers urged her to consolidate GOP support after the primary, Lake remained fixated on a grudge match against people loyal to the legacy of the late Sen. John McCain.”

“I wish somebody would say, ‘You know what? Arrest me then. I don’t care.’ We need people with courage to say, ‘class what felony? Go ahead, go for it, arrest me.’ Because this is a botched election.”

— Failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R), on Steve Bannon’s podcast.

Donald Trump demanded that Kari Lake (R) be named the winner of the Arizona governor’s race — even though she lost.

Said Trump: “Massive numbers of ‘BROKEN’ voting machines in Republican Districts on Election Day. Mechanics sent in to ‘FIX’ them made them worse. Kari had to be taken to a Democrat area, which was working perfectly, to vote.”

He added: “Her opponent ran the Election. This is yet another criminal voting operation – SO OBVIOUS. Kari Lake should be installed Governor of Arizona.”

Lake has refused to admit defeat to Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs (D).

“Kari Lake, the Republican who lost a tight race to be Arizona’s governor, hasn’t conceded the contest, more than 14 hours after the Associated Press and TV outlets said Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs won,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Her only comment: “Arizonans know BS when they see it.”

Last month, Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R) tweeted an open letter sarcastically thanking Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) for running a political ad against her, lauding the “Cheney anti-endorsement” as “the gift that keeps on giving.”

Cheney replied yesterday, after Lake lost the election: “You’re welcome.”

Katie Hobbs (D) has defeated Kari Lake (R) in Arizona’s race for governor, NBC News reports.

“Hobbs’ victory is key for Democrats in a presidential battleground and a rebuke to a prominent election denier — though the closeness of the contest left the result up in the air for nearly a week.”

Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R) “made light of the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband in remarks at a campaign event Monday, drawing laughter from the audience,” NBC News reports.

“Asked about school security, Lake suggested the protection afforded to federal lawmakers should be available to students, as well.”

Said Lake: “Nancy Pelosi, well, she’s got protection when she’s in D.C. — apparently her house doesn’t have a lot of protection.”