Escalating conflict with Trump, Mike Pence endorses Karrin Taylor Robson for Arizona governor

Former Vice President Mike Pence has endorsed Republican candidate Karrin Taylor Robson in the race for Arizona governor, declaring her "the best choice for Arizona's future."

Taylor Robson's campaign also confirmed Pence would visit the Grand Canyon State on Friday, holding events for her in Phoenix and southern Arizona.

The same day, Pence's old boss, former President Donald Trump, is set to hold a rally in Prescott Valley, bringing the civil war within the Republican party to the battleground state with the primary election little more than a week away.

Pence's support of Taylor Robson is a potentially powerful last minute boost to her campaign and again puts him on the opposite side of Trump, who has endorsed former Fox 10 news anchor Kari Lake for the Republican nomination. Pence stood up to Trump's pressure campaign to overturn the 2020 election results, and earlier this year backed a sitting governor in another swing state over Trump's pick.

Pence said in a statement that Taylor Robson was "the only candidate for governor that will keep Arizona's border secure and streets safe, empower parents and create great schools, and promote conservative values."

As primary election day nears, the race for the Republican nomination has grown increasingly intense with attacks lobbed between candidates and national political power players weighing in.

Debate: 5 takeaways from the Republican debate for Arizona governor

Taylor Robson has vaulted from an unknown name to the general public to within reach of Lake's one-time commanding lead. Taylor Robson, a former developer and lobbyist, poured about $14 million of her own money into the race, predominantly spending on advertising, to get her message to Arizonans.

Lake, meanwhile, has attacked Taylor Robson, claiming she is trying to buy the election and over the weekend released a video calling attention to an online fundraising tactic that some have called deceptive.

In early July, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey cast his support behind Taylor Robson, whom he had appointed in 2017 to the Arizona Board of Regents to oversee the state's three public universities. Ducey, who considers Pence a friend and is likely to appear alongside him while Pence is in Arizona, boosted Taylor Robson's campaign again in a Sunday morning appearance on CNN's State of the Union.

Taylor Robson was "the real conservative" in the race, Ducey said, later adding that Lake was "all an act" who has "been putting on a show for some time now."

Ducey also suggested he wouldn't support Trump if he runs in 2024, which is not surprising given Ducey famously silenced the former president's call while he certified Joe Biden's 2020 win in Arizona. He has since become a frequent foil for Trump.

"I think we will have options in the 2024 primary race, I am hopeful we will have options," Ducey said on CNN. "And I want somebody who can win that general election because I believe with success in 2022, the general election is the Republican party's for the taking."

Endorsement intensifies GOP battle

With Pence and Ducey in Taylor Robson's corner, and Trump in Lake's, the Aug. 2 primary election is another battle for the control of the GOP, pitting traditional Republicans who are looking to future elections against Trump loyalists looking back to 2020 and furthering false claims of fraud.

Taylor Robson has refused to declare Biden the rightful winner, instead saying the 2020 election wasn't fair, but also saying during a debate she would accept the outcome of this year's election. Lake, meanwhile, has suggested she may not accept the results and continues to make false claims about fraud in 2020.

Despite dozens of court challenges nationally and an Arizona Senate ballot review that cost taxpayers nearly $5 million — and counting — there is no evidence of fraud significant enough to overturn the 2020 election.

Pence, a former Indiana governor, has backed other Republican candidates for governor across the nation in the 2022 midterms. In Georgia, he endorsed incumbent governor Brian Kemp, who trounced a Trump-backed opponent in the May primary, and in New York, he endorsed Congressman Lee Zeldin, who voted against certifying the 2020 election results and who won the GOP nomination in June.

Calling Pence a "warrior" for conservative values in a statement announcing his endorsement, Taylor Robson also invoked one of her most common lines of attack — calling Lake "fake" for her past history supporting Democrats and other contrasts.

"Modern politics is full of charlatans and fakes, but Vice President Pence is the genuine article," Taylor Robson said. "He has never wavered in his conservative beliefs and commitment to our Constitution, and left a rock-solid legacy as governor to which I will aspire."

Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.com or 480-416-5669. Follow her on Twitter @sbarchenger.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mike Pence endorses Karrin Taylor Robson for Arizona governor