2026 Election: Karrin Taylor Robson launches 2nd run for Arizona governor
Karrin Taylor Robson has announced a run for Arizona governor in 2026.
She ran for the Republican Party gubernatorial nomination in 2022, but lost to Kari Lake.
PHOENIX - Another Republican has joined the race to be Arizona's next governor.
In a post made on X on Feb. 12, Karrin Taylor Robson announced another run for Arizona's highest office.
"I am running for Governor so we can defeat radical Katie Hobbs, support President [Donald Trump], lock down the border, and create jobs for Arizona," read a portion of the post, with Robson adding a mention for Trump's X account in the post.
Taylor Robson is the second Republican to join the 2026 gubernatorial race.
Dig deeper
On Jan. 22, we reported that Congressman Andy Biggs filed what is known as a "Statement of Interest" for the governorship.
"Arizona has a bright future but will need strong leadership to reach its full potential," a portion of the statement read. "I look forward to conversing with my fellow Arizonans as I consider this weighty decision."
On Feb. 6, Rep. Biggs posted a formal announcement of a gubernatorial run on his X account, and asking people to sign his ballot petition.
This marks the second time that Taylor Robson has mounted a run for a statewide office.
The backstory
According to the 2022 official primary election canvass, Taylor Robson is one of five named candidates on that year's Republican Party gubernatorial primary. There were three other write-in candidates listed as Republicans in that election, but all of them received less than 50 votes each.
Robson, a lawyer for housing developers, spent millions from her family's vast fortune on her ultimately unsuccessful campaign for governor. She racked up endorsements from prominent establishment Republicans, including then-Gov. Doug Ducey and former Vice President Mike Pence, but lost to Kari Lake.
As for Lake, she lost the race to Democrat Katie Hobbs. That election was Lake's first attempt at public office: she ran for the Senate seat that was being vacated by Kyrsten Sinema in 2024, and lost that race to Democrat Ruben Gallego.
Democrats Respond
Arizona Democratic Party Chairman Robert E. Branscomb II responded to the news, saying, in full: "Wealthy lobbyist and corporate developer Karrin Taylor Robson is more concerned about earning Trump's support than doing what's right for Arizona. Taylor Robson is in for a long, nasty primary fight that will force her to double down on her already extreme positions like criminalizing doctors who perform abortions and gutting funding for Arizona's public schools. Meanwhile, Gov. Hobbs is forgiving medical debt and welcoming hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs to Arizona– things that are actually helping working people. Under my leadership, the Arizona Democratic Party will do everything possible to support Governor Hobbs and her work to move Arizona forward."
Arizona voters will decide on a number of races in 2026.
Big picture view
On a statewide level, elections will be held for the governorship, along with the Secretary of State, State Attorney General, State Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and State Mine Inspector.
Of the incumbents in each statewide office, only State Treasurer Kimberly Yee is ineligible for reelection due to the state's limit of two consecutive terms.
New in this election will be the position of lieutenant governor, which will be elected with the governor on a joint ticket. The post was established after voters approved Proposition 131 in 2022.
Voters in each of Arizona's 30 state legislative districts will also select two state representatives and one state senator.
Arizona voters will also decide on who will be their next representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 2027 to 2029, as all members of the U.S. House serve two-year terms, and are elected at the same time.
Unlike recent elections, however, there will be no races for the U.S. Senate in Arizona, because none of the state's two Senators are at the end of their term by that time. The next U.S. Senate election in Arizona will take place in 2028, when the seat currently held by Democrat Mark Kelly will be up for election.
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