What To Look Out For In The AZ Primaries

Arizona is headed into a night of heated primary elections, with former President Trump’s endorsement of candidates in multiple races and the state’s delay of results in the 2020 Presidential election.

Candidates for both Governor and U.S. Senate became their primary’s frontrunners in the battleground state after being endorsed by former President Trump. What remains to be seen is whether Trump’s endorsement will be what pushes them through the finish line and if Arizona finds out the election results tonight.

Arizona was one of six battleground states that withheld their results on election day during the presidential race in 2020, prompting accusations of voter fraud from Trump and his supporters. Pennsylvania, which also did not call their 2020 results until weeks after election day, didn’t know the winners of this year’s primary races the day they occurred.

It is uncertain whether Arizona will be able to call their election tonight or if they will face a repeat of 2020.

Senatorial candidate Blake Masters previously trailed in third place behind his opponents, candidate Jim Lamon and Attorney General Mark Brnovich before receiving Trump’s endorsement in June, according to polling tracked by RealClear Politics. The first post-endorsement poll showed Masters in first place with a 20% majority of support from likely Republican voters.

Masters currently leads 40% of voters, according to an Emerson College poll. He was already the only candidate in his race consistently rising in polls since April, even before receiving the endorsement.

The gubernatorial race between candidate Kari Lake and Pence-endorsed Karrin Taylor Robson is more competitive.

It’s Election Day!

Arizona, go vote! Polls are open until 7 PM and every vote counts. Let your voice be heard! #AZgov pic.twitter.com/cVBtX5UAfS

— Karrin Taylor Robson for Arizona (@Karrin4Arizona) August 2, 2022

Lake currently leads the race over Robson with a 9.3% majority of support, average polling shows. Although she has kept an average lead over Robson since polls receiving the endorsement in September, Robson’s support is on a mostly upward trend. Emerson College currently ranks her as one percentage point ahead of Lake.

Both former Vice President Pence and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey endorsed Robson in July. Ohio Predictive Insights named her a favorite among Republican supporters in an April survey.

More of the respondents identified as Trump supporters than party supporters, and 75% of the self-described Trump supporters are backing Lake, according to an analysis conducted by KTAR News.

Robson still wins the endorsement of the National Border Patrol Council over Lake, who campaigned on U.S.-Mexico border issues as a main platform.