Pence Endorses Opponent of Trump-Backed Candidate for Arizona Governor

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Monday endorsed Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson over Trump-backed candidate Kari Lake.

Pence said Robson, a real estate developer, is "the best choice for Arizona’s future" and will "promote conservative values." Robson and Lake lead in endorsements, polls, and funding ahead of the state’s Aug. 2 primary. Gov. Doug Ducey (R-AZ), an open critic of former President Donald Trump, has also endorsed Robson to succeed him. On Friday, Pence and Robson will visit the U.S.-Mexico border while Trump is holding a rally in northern Arizona to campaign for Lake. The endorsement highlights a growing rift between Pence and Trump. Pence previously backed incumbent Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who defeated Trump-backed David Perdue in the state's GOP primary by about 50 percentage points. The former vice president, who dismissed Trump's aspirations to overturn the 2020 election, has also stayed open to a 2024 presidential run against his former boss. Meanwhile, Trump has weighed the idea of announcing his presidential bid before November's midterm elections.

Left-rated outlets were more likely to label Lake as an "election denier" and highlight how Pence's "political future in the GOP" depends on his ability to prove Trump is "less powerful than he is being made out to be." Some right-rated outlets criticized Lake's 2006-12 Democratic voter registration and noted that the two GOP frontrunners "mostly agree" on top issues in the Arizona primary battle aside from whether the 2020 election was "stolen."