The television personality endorsed by former President Donald Trump is leading in a fresh poll of the Republican primary for governor in Arizona, topping the only GOP candidate in the race elected to statewide office.
Former television news anchor Kari Lake garnered 28% in a poll conducted by OH Predictive Insights, an Arizona pollster, to lead the field. State Treasurer Kimberly Yee trailed in third at 6%, with former Rep. Matt Salmon registering 10%. The primary is more than eight months away, and much could change in the race. Indeed, 51% of Republicans polled said they were undecided.
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But Lake jumping out to an early lead reveals the power of Trump’s endorsement with Republicans in Arizona, a state where his support with the GOP base has always been particularly strong.
In the race for the Democratic nomination for governor, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs appears in command. In the poll, she received the support of 42% of respondents. Former Nogales Mayor Marco Lopez received 10%, with former state legislator Aaron Lieberman registering 6%. A whopping 44% were undecided.
“While most statewide primaries are in flux, [the Democratic gubernatorial primary] appears to be one in which there is little question who the frontrunners are,” Mike Noble, OH Predictive Insights chief of research, said in a statement.
In 2020, Arizona emerged as a swing state, with President Joe Biden narrowly defeating Trump there and Democrats picking up the second of the state’s two Senate seats. Accordingly, in polling gauging voter sentiment in next year’s midterm elections, 39% said they preferred a Republican in the governor’s mansion, while 37% said they preferred a Democrat.
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This survey of registered voters, conducted Nov. 1–8 and publicized this week, has an error margin of 3.7 percentage points.
Incumbent Republican Gov. Doug Ducey is termed out of office and retiring in 2022.
