Republican Karin Taylor Robson cConsidering a potential solid candidate in the election for the seat of Sen. Kirsten Cinema (I, Arizona), she said she would not run in 2024.
Robson ran for governor of Arizona last year, but lost in the primary to Kari Lake, a former local TV anchor endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Lake lost the general election to Democrat Katie Hobbs.
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“Arizona voters will help determine whether or not they will take control of the U.S. Senate in 2024,” Robson said in a statement. I am sorry to hear that,” he said. “But while we may explore other opportunities to serve the state through an elected office in the future, now is not the time.”
“We will continue to work to identify and select strong conservatives to serve Arizona at all levels of government,” Robson added.
Republican lawmakers across the state weren’t surprised by Mr. Robson’s announcement Thursday, sparking speculation that Mr. Lake in particular could run for the seat.
“If Robson ever faces Lake again, it would be utterly disastrous for her,” said a Republican strategist in the state who requested anonymity. “Lake is the definition of a crazy city. She doesn’t know any reputable Republicans who want to compete with her.”
The battle for the cinema seat is the most unpredictable of the cycle. Cook Political Report Contest ranking as a toss-up. Cinema, who left the Democratic Party last year to become an independent, did not answer questions about his plans for 2024.
Arizona Gubernatorial candidate Karin Taylor-Robson speaks at a Town Hall event with former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on July 29, 2022 in Tempe, Arizona.
Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press
She has no intention of running for a second term, instead saying her top priority is to solve the problems plaguing the border state of Arizona.
Progressive Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) announced in January that he would run for the Senate in 2024, likely in a three-way race. With Arizona’s filing deadline next April and the state’s primary not until August 2024, it could take even longer for the Republican candidate to roll out.
Lake, who popularized Trump’s claim that the 2020 election was stolen, has publicly teased the idea of running for the U.S. Senate and doubts he’ll be part of the Republican Party if Arizona wins the Senate. It worries Republicans all over the country who don’t think.
While some local Republican operatives aren’t convinced that Mr. Lake is seriously considering running for the Senate, Republicans across the country are ready for an announcement.
The former gubernatorial candidate met with officials from the National Republican Senate Committee in early February, but it’s unclear what was discussed beyond the differences between the gubernatorial and the Senate races. The NRSC has not commented on Robson’s decision not to run.
Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb became the first Republican to run for office last month, but others are also eyeing the run. That list includes Blake Masters, who lost last year’s Senate election by five percentage points. Abraham Hamadeh lost the 2022 Attorney General election. And Jim Ramon, the businessman who lost the primary for another Senate seat in Arizona in 2022.
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There was some early talk of Lamb being a consensus candidate, but key areas are still taking shape. Trump’s Republican allies have cast doubt on the health of the 2020 election, which may have hit both Lake and Masters states in the last election. Some strategists fear it could be a stumbling block for him in the general election, but others deny it.
“I have never heard anything overly negative about this guy as long as he has a professional team and a winning campaign. If he is surrounded by smart people , he will have a better chance than anyone else,” said the Republican national strategist, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
