Pence Breaks with Trump, Endorses Alternate Candidate in Red Hot Governor's Primary
Former Vice President Mike Pence has rebuffed former President Donald Trump through his latest gubernatorial endorsement.
Pence endorsed Karrin Taylor Robson for Arizona Governor on Monday, even though Trump has already endorsed another candidate.
I am honored to announce the endorsement of former Vice President @Mike_Pence.
He has been a warrior for the sanctity of Life; limited government; law & order; opportunity for all; & the knowledge that our freedoms are granted by God.
I’m proud to have him on my team. #AZgov pic.twitter.com/7u680Z7CDU
— Karrin Taylor Robson for Arizona (@Karrin4Arizona) July 18, 2022
Trump endorsed former news anchor Kari Lake earlier this year.
After the death of his ex-wife, the 45th president postponed an Arizona rally last week in which he’ll tout his support of Lake and U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters.
The two men have separated politically after the final months of Trump’s presidency.
Trump urged Pence to reject the 2020 election electoral college count in his capacity as president of the Senate.
Pence refused, arguing against the idea that the Vice President has the constitutional powers to overturn a presidential election.
Trump has openly criticized Pence since leaving office, most recently accusing him of lacking the “courage” to overturn the electoral college slate, according to The Tennessean.
Pence has in turn spoken openly against Trump’s electoral college proposal, arguing Trump was “wrong” in his demands of his Vice President.
“Frankly, there is no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president,” Pence said at a February Federalist Society speech.
This isn’t the first time that Pence has chosen a different candidate than Trump in a Republican primary.
Pence backed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, another Republican known for receiving Trump’s ire.
Kemp ultimately defeated the Trump-backed David Perdue in the state primary.
Lake leads Robson in the high single digits, according to an aggregate of polls from RealClearPolitics.
Early voting has already begun in the state’s Aug. 2 primary.
The winner of the primary is likely to face Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in the November general election.
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