BY KEVIN STONE | KTAR.com
Late-deciding Arizona Republicans are lining up behind candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump, according to poll results released Friday, four days before primary voting ends.
Trump-backed candidates in four statewide GOP races, including the high-profile contests for governor and U.S. senator, all saw double-digit gains in the month of July to open big leads heading into Tuesday’s election, OH Predictive Insights found.
Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and U.S. Senate hopeful Blake Masters pulled clear of their top challengers, according to the OH Predictive Insights poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.37%.
The Phoenix-based research firm conducted its latest survey of likely Republican voters two days before releasing the results.
After leading Karrin Taylor-Robson by 8 percentage points in early July, Lake was up 51%-33% with little time left until Election Day. The 18-point cushion was well above the 12% who were either unsure or refused to reveal their preference.
Masters, meanwhile, saw his lead over Jim Lamon increase by 8 points to 36%-21%, with Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a frequent target of Trump’s barbs, stagnating at 12%. Another 22% headed into the final days of the campaign undecided.
The new poll results were released one week after Trump held a rally in Prescott Valley for Lake, Masters, attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh and secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem.
Trump-backed candidates have had mixed results nationally, but he could be heading for a perfect game with his statewide endorsements in Arizona. (Trump has also endorsed several Arizona legislative candidates, but polling is limited in local races.)
His nod appears to have had the biggest impact in the race to succeed Brnovich. Hamadeh, who received the Trump stamp of approval in mid-June, broke open a tight attorney general’s race by adding 24 points to his column.
