Arizona businesswoman launches bid for governor

GOP businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson announced Wednesday she’s launching a bid for Arizona governor in 2026, ending speculation over her next moves.

“President Trump is back in the White House, and he means business. Arizona needs a strong governor who will help President Trump lock down our border,” says a narrator in a one-minute ad for Taylor Robson posted on her social platform X account.

The ad then cuts to a clip of Trump in Arizona in December saying he would endorse her gubernatorial bid if she ran for the job.

The narrator next says “Karrin Taylor Robson is answering President Trump’s call” and touts her as “Trump-endorsed businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson.” The narrator says she’s “tough as nails on illegal immigration” and “knows how to create jobs.”

This is Taylor Robson’s second bid for Arizona governor. She ran before in 2022, losing to Republican Kari Lake in the GOP primary. Lake narrowly lost to Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) that November.

Taylor Robson is the second high-profile Republican in Arizona to wade into the 2026 GOP gubernatorial primary. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) took a step last month toward a potential gubernatorial bid, filing a statement of interest in the job.

Hobbs could face a primay challenge. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) is mulling a possible bid.

Arizona is seen as one of Republicans’ best pickup opportunities in 2026, especially since Trump won the state by more than 5 points in November.

While the political landscape may benefit Republicans, the party will also have to contend with the traditional headwinds the party in power usually faces during midterm elections.