Robson reports $575,000 in individual donations and $2,500 from PACs
Biggs receiving outside funding support from political action committees
Incumbent Democrat Katie Hobbs has nearly $4.7 million cash on hand
Karrin Taylor Robson has edged out Andy Biggs in campaign fundraising for their upcoming bid for the Republican nominee for governor in 2026.
However, the donations tell only part of the story as each hopes to take on incumbent Democrat Katie Hobbs, who is seeking another four-year term.
New reports filed on July 21 show Robson, who made an unsuccessful bid to become the GOP nominee in 2022, listing nearly $575,000 in individual donations and another $2,500 from political action committees.
Biggs, a former state senator and now a member of Congress, had about $429,000 in donations. He also has $50,000 left over from a former campaign for the Legislature.
Robson, however, reports she loaned her campaign more than $2.2 million in the past quarter following an extensive media campaign that virtually all of it touting her endorsement from Donald Trump. In fact, her report states that it has spent $2.2 million on advertising.
So, even with that self-borrowed money, her cash on hand is now about $876,000.
This isn’t the first time Robson, who has never held elected office, has self-funded an election. She loaned herself $16.9 million in 2022 in her unsuccessful bid to be the GOP nominee, only to lose to Kari Lake — who, in turn, lost the general election to Hobbs.
Biggs, off to a slower start, spent only about $180,000 in the past three months, with most of that amount going toward mailing services and consultants. That leaves him with about $437,000 in the bank.
But Biggs has the lead on something that doesn’t show up in his report: Spending on his behalf.
Turning Point Action, which supports conservative candidates, reported it has already spent nearly $459,000 on behalf of Biggs. That includes $352,00 for TV ads.
Much of the PAC’s funds were funneled through 1Ten LLC, owned by state Sen. Jake Hoffman, a Queen Creek Republican who heads the Arizona Freedom Caucus. Hoffman describes his operation as a full-service agency handling everything from TV, radio and cable TV ads to social media and mail.
These independent expenditures are not subject to state law limitations. There is only a requirement they be listed and that the organizations behind them cannot coordinate with the candidate.
Robson is also getting the benefit of outside spending, this from Building a Better Arizona, a political action committee that was formed specifically to help Robson get the nomination. Former state Senate President Karen Fann chairs it.
In a January press release, Fann said she and Robert Graham, former chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, believe Robson has the best chance of ousting the incumbent, something that “has not happened in over 60 years.”
In her own report, Hobbs reported receipts of $1.3 million. That includes nearly $53,000 from Copper State Values, a separate political action committee set up to spend money on her behalf for election related “shared expenses.”
Her spending in the past quarter was close to $810,000, leaving her with nearly $4.7 million cash on hand.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the dollar amount of Biggs’ campaign donations.
Andy Biggs received an endorsement for governor from President Trump
Trump now supports both Biggs and his opponent Karrin Taylor Robson
Both candidates poll lower than Gov. Hobbs for the 2026 election
Andy Biggs got a bump late Monday in his bid for governor: an endorsement from President Trump.
In a post on his Truth Social media, the president acknowledged he already had said last year he was supporting Karrin Taylor Robson in her quest to be the Republican nominee to take on incumbent Democrat Katie Hobbs in 2026. And Robson has used the claim that she was the only Trump-endorsed candidate in the face in virtually every one of her press releases.
“I like Karrin Taylor Robson a lot,” he said. “And when she asked me to endorse her, with nobody else running, I endorsed her and was happy to do so.”
But the president said everything changed when Congressman Andy Biggs decided that he, too, hoped to be the one to take on Hobbs.
“I had a problem,” Trump wrote, calling them “two terrific people, two wonderful champions.”
“It is therefore my Great Honor TO GIVE MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT TO BOTH,” he wrote. “Either one will never let you down.”
Robson, in a prepared statement late that day, made no mention of Biggs and instead emphasized what she read in the president’s statement.
“Today, President Donald Trump reaffirmed what he told me from the rally stage in December when he urged me to run: that he supports me and has fully endorsed my America First campaign,” she said.
But the dual endorsement comes as some polls show Biggs with an edge over Robson who has never been elected but is campaigning on her business background in real estate and land development.
Politico reported that a poll of likely 2026 Republican voters conducted earlier this month by the anti-tax Club For Growth showed Biggs with the backing of 45%, with 16% for Robson, with the balance undecided.
In a separate question, the survey by Pulse Decision Science of likely general election voters found that Hobbs was outpolling both of them. But Biggs was behind by just 3 percentage points; Robson trailed by 9.
“It’s been an honor to support you and fight for your agenda since 2016,” he wrote the year he was elected to Congress. “I look forward to fighting alongside you as governor of Arizona, the greatest state in the nation!”
This isn’t the first time Trump’s blessing has been less than exclusive.
In the 2024 Republican primary for CD8, Trump had endorsed Abe Hamadeh, only to later give his political backing also to Blake Masters. Trump declared in a social media post at that time that there were “two spectacular America First Candidates” in the race.
Hamadeh won the primary and, later, the general election.
In 2022, Robson made her first bid for governor promoting herself as a moderate, only to lose to Kari Lake by more than 40,000 votes; Lake, in turn, ended up losing to Hobbs by more than 17,000 votes.
This time, however, Robson has clearly put herself into the Trump camp.
“I cannot wait to be in the governor’s office as a partner to his conservative America First agenda,” she said on April 21. “Onward!”
But Biggs may have the advantage of his very visible support for the president. That includes the fact that he was one of several members of the House Freedom Caucus who went to the jail to greet those who had been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol after they were pardoned earlier this year when Trump took office.
One unknown variable is state Treasurer Kimberly Yee who had previously said she has been asked to consider running for governor.
She actually was an announced candidate in 2022 before dropping out, opting instead to seek another four-year term as treasurer. That is not an option in 2026 because she cannot seek a third term.
The GOP head of the Arizona Freedom Caucus is advancing legislation that would bar fellow Republican Karrin Taylor Robson from becoming the next governor — even if she were to win the election.
Strictly speaking, HCR 2037 which was approved by the Senate Government Committee on March 26, says nothing about the attorney and business consultant who formally jumped in the 2026 gubernatorial race earlier this year.
But what the measure crafted by Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, does say is that no person is eligible to become a state elected official who, for two years prior to the primary, has been required to register as a paid lobbyist.
And that happens to include Robson who as recently as January registered with the city of Phoenix that she is a lobbyist with AZ Strategies LLC. Robson is listed as the founder and president. That same city registration also lists Arizona Public Service, the state’s largest electric utility, as one of her clients. But a spokesman for APS said she ceased doing work for the utility in the fourth quarter of last year. And Resolution Copper Co., in its own filing with the Secretary of State’s Office, said Robson served as a lobbyist until this week.
Hoffman never mentioned Robson’s name when he first explained his measure to other members of the Government Committee, which he chairs.
“This one seems very straightforward,” he told colleagues. “We have the prohibition on lobbying following office.”
That refers to a state statute making it illegal for any former lawmakers to take a paid job lobbying the Legislature for one year after they leave office.
“We think that also should apply prior to office,” Hoffman said. “So it seems like a common-sense measure in line with what we have.”
But Hoffman conceded to Capitol Media Services this isn’t occurring in a vacuum.
He is a vocal supporter of a bid by current U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs who also wants to be the Republican nominee for governor. And Hoffman, while denying that his measure is aimed strictly at Robson, acknowledged he crafted it with her in mind.
“The public has an overwhelming distrust of paid lobbyists because their job includes the potential hazard of selling themselves and their influence to the highest bidder,” he said.
“This legislation seeks to prevent the poisoning of the public’s trust in government that would come from allowing someone in that profession to be able to immediately serve in a position of key influence such as the governorship,” Hoffman continued. “Karrin Taylor Robson is certainly a valid example as to why legislation is needed given her recent moonlighting as a paid lobbyist.”
Robson, in her own prepared response, made no mention of her registration as a lobbyist. Instead she said that Hoffman’s “desperate political tactic fails basic legal scrutiny.”
What makes HCR 2037 potentially dangerous for Robson’s political future is the way it is worded.
Hoffman’s proposal, if approved by the Legislature, would have to be ratified by voters at the Nov. 3, 2026, election.
But the measure does not say that people who have been lobbyists in the affected two-year period are ineligible to run. Such a wording could be interpreted to mean that, if approved, it would be effective proactively, affecting only those who choose to run in future years.
Instead, Hoffman crafted his measure to make anyone who has been a lobbyist for the two years before the 2026 primary — meaning Aug. 4, 2024 — legally unqualified to be sworn in.
If the measure is approved, it would become part of the Arizona Constitution when the 2026 election results are formally certified, something that is set to occur on Nov. 23, 2026.
But whoever is elected in 2026 would not take office until the first day in January 2027 — after the provision becomes effective.
Yet Hoffman called it “laughable” that he was advancing the measure in a way to convince Republicans to nominate Biggs, who is not a lobbyist and therefore would be unaffected even if voters approve his ballot measure.
“There is no need to target her given my confidence that her primary opponent will be elected as our state’s next governor,” Hoffman said, predicting he will win not only the GOP primary but defeat incumbent Democrat Katie Hobbs, who already has made it clear she wants another term.
There is no guarantee that Hoffman’s proposal will make it through the Legislature given there are many Republicans who already have announced their support for Robson. And, even if it does make it onto the ballot, voter approval is not guaranteed.
But despite his disavowals that HCR 2037 is all about Robson, Hoffman also left no doubt that he is using the measure to try to undermine voter support for her.
“A public conversation is warranted about what traps and entanglements might be present with a candidate for governor so closely aligned with, not to mention financially tied to, the largest monopoly utility in the state,” he told Capitol Media Services.
Legally speaking, there is no way for Biggs to benefit if the measure is approved: If Robson wins the GOP primary, defeats Hobbs but is unable to be sworn in, Biggs would not become governor.
So who would?
In 2022, Arizona voters agreed to create the position of lieutenant governor, beginning with the 2026 race.
Under that system, the nominees of each party after the primary will select a running mate, with the two of them running as a ticket. That is similar to what happens in presidential races where the nominee selects a running mate.
Hoffman said he reads the constitutional provision as meaning if the successful gubernatorial candidate can’t take office, the post goes to the lieutenant governor.
Robson, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2022 got an early boost last December when President-elect Donald Trump, speaking at an event in Phoenix, called her out in front of the crowd.
“Are you running for governor?” he asked. “I think so Karrin, because if you do, you’re going to have my support, OK?”
Biggs, a former state Senate president and now a congressional representative, became the first to officially enter the race a month later. Robson followed in February complete with an announcement touting that “endorsement” in which she mentioned the president’s name 12 times.
It remains unclear, however, whether Robson will be able to make an exclusive claim to Trump’s backing, particularly as Biggs has been a vocal supporter of the president’s agenda.
The field of who wants to take on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in 2026 just doubled in size.
In a prepared statement Feb. 12, Republican Karrin Taylor Robson touted her conservative policies and business background. That specifically includes her role as founder and president of Arizona Strategies, which deals with real estate and land development.
But Robson made no secret of what she considers her strongest case – her endorsement by President Trump. In fact, she mentioned the president’s name 12 times in her announcement, along with two other instances of name dropping involving the president’s son and daughter-in-law.
But it remains unclear whether she will be able to make an exclusive claim to that.
Andy Biggs
After Trump’s endorsement, Congressman Andy Biggs announced his own candidacy. And the former state Senate president has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s agenda in Washington.
More to the point, Trump has shown that his endorsements are not unique.
In the 2024 GOP primary for 8th Congressional District, Trump had endorsed Abe Hamadeh, only to later also give his political blessing to Blake Masters, declaring in a social media post there are “two spectacular America First Candidates” in the race.
Robson, for her part, made no mention of Biggs.
“I thank President Trump for his strong endorsement and look forward to working with him to secure our border and make Arizona safe again,” she said in her press release. And, at least indirectly, Robson sought to remind the president of what she has done, saying she “helped raise” more than $1 million to support him in his 2016 and 2020 races and sponsoring events with Donald Trump Jr. and Lara Trump.
But Biggs has something that Robson does not – a record of never having lost an election.
Robson, for her part, is zero for one. Her lone political outing was in 2022 when she first ran for governor, only to lose the Republican primary to Kari Lake – who Trump had endorsed – by more than 40,000 votes.
Lake herself went on to lose the race to Hobbs.
Biggs also took a very recent public action designed to show his support for the president. He was one of several members of the House Freedom Caucus who went to the jail to greet those arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol after they were pardoned by Trump.
There is one other possible contender to take on Hobbs.
State Treasurer Kimberly Yee said she has been asked to consider running for governor “and have been getting calls of support from around our state.”
Yee actually was briefly a candidate in 2022 before instead deciding to seek another term as treasurer. She cannot seek reelection in 2026.
But Yee already has been making the case that she would be a strong contender.
She pointed out she got 102,244 more votes in her reelection bid in 2022 than Hobbs got for governor. And Yee said she outperformed Democrat Mark Kelly by more than 68,000 votes that same year as he won the race for U.S. Senate.
Donald Trump’s endorsement of Karrin Taylor Robson to be the next governor of Arizona has riled the more conservative elements of the state Republican Party.
During a wide-ranging speech in Phoenix on Sunday, the former and next president encouraged Robson, who has been making the rounds in GOP circles, to enter the race.
“You’re going to have my support,” Trump said from the podium.
And while Robson hasn’t formally announced, she thanked Trump on her social media post.
Karrin Taylor Robson
“I am beyond honored to have his support,” she wrote.
The presidential promotion drew immediate fire given Robson’s political history, not the least of which was endorsing former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie when he attempted to take on Trump in this year’s presidential race. Leading that criticism is state Sen. Jake Hoffman who is the head of the Arizona Freedom Caucus.
“Donald Trump should fire whichever executive consultant or staffer told him to endorse the UniParty McCain network candidate for Arizona governor,” the Queen Creek Republican wrote on X.
“She lost the 2022 (gubernatorial) primary for a reason,” he continued. “Arizona doesn’t want her open borders, pro-amnesty liberal policies,” calling her “the Swamp.”
State Rep. Jackie Parker, R-Mesa, in her own post, said having Trump get involved with endorsements in Arizona has “messed up the state.”
“He needs to just focus on Congress and stay out of our statewide races,” she wrote.
And the criticism is even coming from outside Arizona as Laura Loomer, who has pushed conspiracy theories but has long ties with Trump, registered her own objections.
Loomer pointed out that Robson two years ago filmed a TV commercial in support of Proposition 308 to create an exception to a previous voter-approved law that denied certain state benefits to those who are not here legally. Instead, the ballot measure spelled out that “dreamers” and certain other migrants brought here illegally as children could qualify for lower in-state tuition at state colleges and universities if they graduated from Arizona high schools.
“As a business leader and Republican, I will be voting ‘yes’ on Prop 308,” Robson stated. “It will improve Arizona’s economy by keeping skilled workers here in Arizona.”
It passed by a margin of 51.2% to 48.8% — over the opposition of the Arizona Republican Party.
That endorsement did not escape Rep. Austin Smith who, following the Trump comments on Sunday reminded his own followers on X.
“I don’t know who needs to hear this,” wrote the Wittman Republican. “But you aren’t America First if you do a commercial to give DACA students in-state tuition.”
Robson has had her own issues with Trump, forming an alliance with former vice president Mike Pence.
He endorsed her for governor in 2022 over Trump-supported Kari Lake. She returned the favor by hosting a fundraiser for him in 2023 during his own brief presidential bid.
And just days after Trump announced his bid to retake the White House in 2022, Robson, in a TV interview, said she saw the former president as a drag on the Republican Party.
“Somebody said – and I like the analogy – there’s fashion ‘dos’ and fashion ‘don’ts’, ” she said. “Trump used to be a fashion ‘do.’ And overnight he’s become a fashion ‘don’t.’ ”
Robson also incurred the wrath of the state GOP when she endorsed political independent Kevin Robinson in the 2023 race for Phoenix City Council over conservative Republican Sam Stone. That provoked a rebuke by the Arizona Republican Party and was stripped of her voting rights as a precinct committeewoman.
But whatever the opposition Robson will face from the conservative wing of the GOP, she already has the backing of others within the party.
In that mix is Congressman Juan Ciscomani who just won a second term in the U.S. House. He posted a message congratulating “my friend Karrin Taylor Robson” on the Trump endorsement.
That provoked a slap from talk show host Garrett Lewis who has criticized Republicans he does not consider sufficiently conservative.
“Another RINO (Republican In Name Only) circling the wagon for Karrin,” he posted. “The establishment is trying so hard to get back in power.”
But Trump’s comments also drew praise from state Rep. Travis Grantham who called the endorsement “outstanding.” The Gilbert Republican said the simple reason is political.
“She can win,” he told Capitol Media Services. “And Republicans need a candidate that can win to unseat Gov. (Katie) Hobbs.”
Grantham also called Robson “quite conservative” and said she worked very hard to get Republicans elected this time, crediting her with being one of the reasons Republicans picked up seats in both the state House and Senate. That includes more than $1.5 million she raised through Arizona PAC helping to fund GOP candidates this past election.
That support for Robson, however, resulted in Lewis giving Grantham the same RINO label as he did Ciscomani, something the state lawmaker brushed aside.
“You know, Ronald Reagan was a Democrat once,” Grantham said.
“Donald Trump was a Democrat once,” he continued. “What’s your point?”
Support for Robson among some key elements of the Republican Party is not new.
She gained the endorsement of outgoing Gov. Doug Ducey to succeed him in the 2022 Republican primary against Lake. But Lake still outpolled her by about 40,000 votes in the five-way race, even after former Congressman Matt Salmon told his supporters to instead vote for her.
That support, however, didn’t translate into victory in November 2022 as Lake lost to Hobbs by about 17,000 votes – results she still contests, as she does of her 2024 loss in the race for U.S. Senate to Democrat Ruben Gallego.
So far there are no announced candidates to take on Hobbs. But among the prospects is state Treasurer Kimberly Yee.
She actually announced her own gubernatorial candidacy in May 2021 to succeed Ducey. But that campaign lasted less than a year after both Lake and Robson got into the race.
Yee then easily won reelection to her own post in 2022 in a year that was bad for Republicans on the state level, not just with Hobbs winning the gubernatorial race but Adrian Fontes getting elected secretary of state and Kris Mayes winning the race for attorney general. But at this point reelection to her own office is not an option as the Arizona Constitution limits her to two four-year terms.
Yee, in a statement Monday to Capitol Media Services, was noncommittal about her political future, saying she has “been asked to seriously consider running for governor.”
“I love Arizona,” she said. “It’s where I was born and raised, and more than ever, we need strong, trusted leadership.”
The other is Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, the group that organized Sunday’s event where Trump backed Robson. Requests for comment went unanswered.
But Robson may have something that both lack: Access to cash, including her own. She managed to spend more than $23 million in her ill-fated bid to be the GOP nominee for governor in 2022, including $18.4 million of her own money.
Robson made her first run for governor while a member of the Arizona Board of Regents, a position she got from Ducey, saying she was “committed to do whatever it takes to defend Arizona from the radical left.”
Her day job is as founder and president of Arizona Strategies, which is involved with development. She previously worked with DMB Associates, a Scottsdale-based master-planned community developer.
Before that she was an attorney where she practiced in the areas of land use, development and zoning laws representing large landowners.
In the bio she released in the 2022 campaign she boasted of that role, saying she “fought on behalf of economic growth and projects that have enabled thousands of new jobs for Arizona families.”
While she has never held political office, she has some genetic ties to those who have.
Her father, Carl Kunasek, was president of the Arizona Senate who later went on to serve on the Arizona Corporation Commission. Brother Andrew Kunasek served as a member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Arizona will elect its first lieutenant governor in 2026, and whoever takes the job will have the opportunity to chart a new course and set a precedent.
Proposition 131, passed by voters in 2022, requires candidates for governor in 2026 to choose a running mate who could become their lieutenant governor in 2027. And though that feels far off to some, members of Arizona’s political community are already weighing their options.
The lieutenant governor would not only be the governor’s deputy, but could also serve as the governor’s chief of staff, the director of the Department of Administration or in any other position for which the governor has the power to make appointments. It’s unclear how exactly Arizona’s next governor will utilize the new position, but Kellie Rittershausen, executive director of the National Lieutenant Governors Association, said there are several other states that can serve as examples.
“The most successful relationship between a governor and lieutenant governor is one where there’s mutual respect, frequent communication and utilizing your number two to the best and highest of their abilities,” Rittershausen said.
Rittershausen said she thinks lieutenant governor is the “most diverse” office in state government because of how much the election process and duties vary between states.
“A lot of times you see the role of lieutenant governor grow over the years, based upon precedent that gets set by former governors and lieutenant governors,” Rittershausen said.
That means candidates for governor will have to think not only about what they want to do in their role, but what they would want from their potential second-in-command. Arizona’s political consultants say it’s a bit too early to be thinking about the new gig, but some politicians already have their eye on the spot.
Anna Tovar, a current member of the Arizona Corporation Commission and longtime Democratic lawmaker, told the Arizona Capitol Times last week that she is interested in joining Gov. Katie Hobbs on her ticket in 2026. Karrin Taylor Robson, a likely Republican candidate for governor, has had names like Kari Lake and Jack McCain attached to hers as potential running mates.
Hobbs’ campaign did not directly respond to questions about whether it is thinking about running mates, and Robson has denied rumors that she’s considering either Lake or McCain. Chuck Coughlin, a Republican consultant, is among those who thinks it’s too early to speculate on what an executive ticket would look like, but said it is “something to contemplate.”
Coughlin said the newness of the position makes for some interesting conversations about what a gubernatorial campaign in Arizona will look like with running mates added.
“That’s going to be part of the campaign messaging, what is that job going to do, and what role do they play in partnership with the governor, and how does that partnership look?” Coughlin said. “And all of those questions are just really interesting to ponder.”
Another question on Coughlin’s mind is how Proposition 140, a ballot measure he and a bipartisan group are backing, could impact an executive ticket if it is approved by voters this year. Prop. 140 would create open primaries where all candidates, regardless of political party, would appear on the same ballot. Coughlin said he wonders if an open primary like that might persuade gubernatorial candidates to choose a running mate from the opposite party.
However, asking these questions before this year’s election contests are decided is jumping the gun, Coughlin said. The makeup of the state Legislature, the fate of the abortion ballot measure and even the presidential race could have impacts on 2026 campaigns in the state.
“It’s all fun cocktail parlor conversation, but it can’t manifest itself in any reality until probably after the next legislative session,” Coughlin said.
Additionally, potential running mates cannot be identified until all candidates for governor from both parties have declared themselves. So far, the only sure candidate is Hobbs, who has committed to running for re-election. Robson is largely believed to be running on the Republican side, but has not yet officially announced her candidacy.
And whoever emerges as each party’s chosen candidate won’t have to officially declare their running mate until 60 days before the general election, which falls shortly after the state’s primary election. So it’s likely that Arizonans won’t see the two executive tickets they will decide on until August 2026.
A bipartisan political action committee announced the launch of an effort to change Arizona’s primary election system, proposing a third potential item that could be on the 2024 ballot related...
Get 24/7 political news coverage and access to events honoring top political professionals
PHOENIX (AP) — Republican Kari Lake, a Donald Trump ally who has refused to acknowledge her loss in last year’s race for Arizona governor, will soon launch her campaign for...
Get 24/7 political news coverage and access to events honoring top political professionals
Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is seen in the U.S. Capitol, July 14, 2022, in Washington. Gallego says he’ll challenge independent U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona...
Get 24/7 political news coverage and access to events honoring top political professionals
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, the Democratic nominee for governor, speaks to the media before dropping off her primary election ballot July 21 in Scottsdale....
Get 24/7 political news coverage and access to events honoring top political professionals
Former President Donald Trump points to the crowd as he speaks at a Save America Rally on Jan. 15 in Florence. Trump supported Arizona gubernatorial candidate...
Get 24/7 political news coverage and access to events honoring top political professionals
The old border fence, below grade, which allowed animal migration into Mexico, remains in place as a construction worker walks along a section of new border...
Get 24/7 political news coverage and access to events honoring top political professionals
Sign In
Free Newsletter
