Arizona businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson will announce her candidacy for the state’s 2026 gubernatorial race Wednesday, the Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.
Robson, who received President Donald Trump’s endorsement in December 2024, will be running to take on Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. The Trump-endorsed candidate will likely center her campaign around curtailing illegal immigration and growing the economy, according to materials shared with the DCNF.
“I thank President Trump for his strong endorsement and look forward to working with him to secure our border and make Arizona safe again,” Robson said in a statement shared with the DCNF. “Katie Hobbs has made it harder to live, work, and raise a family safely in this state. 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.”
“Katie Hobbs and Joe Biden’s insane agenda has made life more expensive and dangerous,” Robson continued. “I will fight every day alongside President Trump for stronger borders, a stronger economy, and a stronger Arizona.”
Trump endorsed Robson during a speech at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona, on Dec. 22.
The 2026 Arizona Governor race will be one of the GOP’s best pickup opportunities to increase the number of Republican governors across the country. Early analysis of the race rates the contest as a “toss-up,” according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
Robson narrowly lost to Kari Lake during the state’s 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary contest. Hobbs bested Lake in the general election by roughly 17,000 votes. Lake also lost to newly-elected Arizona Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego in the state’s 2024 Senate race.
Hobbs is one of the least popular governors in the country with an approval rating of 48%, according to a November 2023 Morning Consult poll.
Despite receiving Trump’s endorsement, Robson is likely to face other GOP candidates in a contested primary.
Republican Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs announced a gubernatorial bid on Jan 25.
Robson helped raise over $1 million for Trump’s 2016 and 2020 presidential runs, according to information her campaign shared with the DCNF. She also supported Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and participated in several campaign events, including a roundtable with Vice President J.D. Vance in Arizona.
Robson is the founder and president of Arizona Strategies, a Phoenix-based land use strategy firm. She is also a member of the civic leaders group for the chief of staff of the United States Air Force.
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