A longtime Arizona political consultant believes former President Donald Trump will stand by his endorsement of Karrin Taylor Robson in the state’s upcoming governor’s race.
“I’m confident he’ll stick with Karrin,” Chuck Coughlin, CEO and president of Phoenix-based HighGround, Inc., told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Thursday morning. His comments came a day after Taylor Robson officially launched her second campaign for governor.
Trump publicly endorsed Taylor Robson in December 2024, almost two months before she officially announced her candidacy for the 2026 Republican primary.
“Are you running for governor? I think so, Karrin. Because if you do, you’re going to have my support,” Trump said on stage at a Turning Point event in Phoenix on Dec. 22, 2024.
Despite Trump’s endorsement, speculation has grown over whether he might change his stance, especially after U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs declared his candidacy on Jan. 25. Biggs, a longtime congressional ally of Trump, has fueled discussions about whether the former president could shift his support.
This speculation isn’t unfounded. Trump has endorsed multiple candidates for the same office before, including during the 2024 election cycle in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. However, Coughlin doesn’t see that happening in the 2026 governor’s race. He pointed out that Biggs is often seen as a “career politician,” while Taylor Robson has built a reputation as a business leader.
“He respects her business background and her ability to get things done. … I suspect that’s the reason why he has migrated her way,” Coughlin said.
Taylor Robson told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Wednesday that Trump’s endorsement was a significant factor in her decision to run again.
Trump’s endorsement of Taylor Robson is notable because, in the 2022 GOP primary, he supported her opponent, Kari Lake, instead. Lake went on to win the nomination but lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs in the general election.
Coughlin believes that Trump’s endorsement of Lake was more of a political move, whereas his backing of Taylor Robson now feels more genuine.
“I suspect it’s a true North Star for him, that she’s going to hold his loyalty throughout the campaign,” Coughlin said.
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