By Stacey Barchenger | Arizona Republic
Kari Lake paid another $34,000 for a fundraiser at Donald Trump’s Florida mansion and Karrin Taylor Robson doubled what she put into her own Republican gubernatorial campaign, adding another $2 million in the first months of the year as the race to replace Gov. Doug Ducey heats up.
The first three months of the election year were marked by unprecedented fundraising — and spending — among nine GOP and Democratic candidates for governor, according to quarterly campaign finance reports filed this weekend.
All together, $5.7 million was raised and over $8 million spent trying to influence votes in the August primary election. To date, over $13.6 million has been spent, exceeding candidate spending in the last gubernatorial election as a whole.
The big-money race reflects the fight over an open seat in the Governor’s Office, in a state that consistently draws national attention as a key battleground. Election forecasters rank Arizona a toss up — meaning both parties have a shot at winning — in this year’s midterm election, when voters in 36 states will choose their next governor.
With four months before the primary election, large numbers of Arizonans are still undecided about who will be their pick. But the first months of the year saw a shift in standing in the GOP primary, according to multiple polls.
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While Lake continues to lead the Republican field, observers say the contest is still competitive and note Taylor Robson’s gains, likely from her willingness to spend her own fortune on a television advertising blitz.
On the Democratic side, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’ frontrunner status was affirmed by standout fundraising numbers compared to her two challengers, who have struggled to compete against the national platform she has received by defending Arizona’s 2020 election.
The GOP contenders, in attack mode
Kari Lake speaks to the crowd at former President Donald Trump’s Save America rally in Florence, Ariz., on Jan. 15, 2022.
Six Republican candidates look to be on the primary ballot after filing enough signatures to qualify earlier this month, though challenges to eligibility can be filed until Monday.
Lake, the former Fox 10 news anchor and Trump disciple, brought in more individual donations than any other candidate so far this year, at $965,000, her report for the first quarter shows. She spent about $34,000 of it to hold her second fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s resort in Florida, where she previously spent over $50,000 for a November soiree.
Lake’s contributions from individuals appear to have increased — she raised $1.4 million over seven months in 2021 versus $965,000 in three months this year — a sign she may have tapped into the Republican base of small-dollar donors. But that success is checked by Taylor Robson, who has surged in polling and shown no inhibition about spending her own millions to win.
