Trump-Backed Arizona Businesswoman Launches Bid For Governor

Businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson officially announced on Wednesday that she’s challenging Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs in the 2026 election, saying she is ready to “answer President Trump’s call.”

In her announcement video, Robson highlighted remarks then-President-elect Donald Trump made in December when he told her that she would have his support if she ran for governor. The 2026 campaign marks Robson’s second attempt at running for governor after she lost the 2022 Republican primary to Kari Lake by 40,000 votes.

“I am running for Governor so we can defeat radical Katie Hobbs, support President @realDonaldTrump, lock down the border, and create jobs for Arizona,” Robson posted on X.

I’m in.

I am running for Governor so we can defeat radical Katie Hobbs, support President @realDonaldTrump, lock down the border, and create jobs for Arizona.

President Trump has endorsed me, and I hope you will join him and support our campaign today: https://t.co/FIEfx82FIk pic.twitter.com/072jCm3S0m

— Karrin Taylor Robson for AZ Gov (@KTaylorRobson) February 12, 2025

Robson will face Republican Congressman Andy Biggs in the GOP primary. Biggs became the first Republican to enter the race in late January when he made the announcement at the Arizona Republican Party’s annual meeting. Both Robson and Biggs are emphasizing the importance of securing Arizona’s 370-mile-long border with Mexico.

“President Trump is back in the White House, and he means business. Arizona needs a strong governor who will help President Trump lock down our border,” the narrator says in Robson’s ad.

After Trump was elected in November, Hobbs vowed to fight his plan for mass deportations, saying she would “not tolerate efforts that are part of misguided policies that harm our communities, that threaten our communities, that terrorize our communities, and Arizona will not take part in those.”

Robson mentioned Trump numerous times in her ad and in a statement that addressed crime and the economy. The Republican candidate argued that “Katie Hobbs has made it harder to live, work, and raise a family safely in this state,” adding, “Like President Trump, I know how to create jobs. And like President Trump, I will not rest until our border is secure and Arizona families are safe.”

Republicans view Arizona as ripe for a GOP takeover after Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris there by five percentage points in the 2024 election.