By Alexander Lomax
Photo Credit: New York Times
Karrin Taylor Robson is out of the Arizona governor’s race, and frankly, it was inevitable.
Her campaign was always a monument to the belief that money could substitute for actual voter enthusiasm. She poured over $2 million of her own wealth into this venture, her second attempt after losing to Kari Lake in 2022, hoping to buy what she never organically had: grassroots support. Even with Donald Trump’s early endorsement, she couldn’t gain traction. When Trump flipped and endorsed Rep. Andy Biggs last April, the writing was in neon lights.
Taylor Robson’s statement cited not wanting a “divisive Republican primary,” which is rich coming from someone who drained millions into a race she was losing by 33 points. The truth? She couldn’t win, so she’s framing her exit as noble sacrifice. But this was never a three-way race. It was always Biggs’s to lose.
Now it’s officially a two-person primary between Biggs and Rep. David Schweikert, though calling it a “race” is generous. Biggs has the Trump endorsement, the Turning Point USA machine behind him, and actual conservative grassroots energy. Schweikert, who jumped in last September after facing tough reelection odds in his congressional district, occupies the exact same “traditional Republican” lane Taylor Robson just abandoned. He’s now the sole standard-bearer for Arizona Republicans who want a candidate who isn’t fully MAGA…except there aren’t enough of those voters in a GOP primary to matter.
Schweikert may have made an even worse strategic decision than Taylor Robson. At least she had money. What does Schweikert have? A moderate reputation in a party that’s moved past moderation, no grassroots operation, and the baggage of fleeing a sinking congressional ship. He’s betting there’s appetite for a reasonable conservative, but polls show he’s not competitive.
Andy Biggs. Photo Credit: Politico
This primary is Andy Biggs’s race to lose. Schweikert is running to be the answer to a question Republican primary voters aren’t asking. And Taylor Robson? She just saved herself from spending millions more on the same result: defeat.
The only question now is whether Schweikert has the self-awareness to follow her lead.