Phoenix (AP) – President Donald Trump has I swear Although it abolishes mail-in voting, some Republican allies in the two western battlefield states have adopted a more cautious approach.
US representative. Andy Biggsone of the two candidates who received Trump support from the Arizona governor race, does not fully support the elimination of mail-in voting, but he asked before, Trump’s 2020 defeat. His main challenger, developer Karin Taylor Robson, is also supported by Trump, but not as much as Biggs to declare a place he stands in eliminating email votes.
This dilemma highlights the recurring challenges that several GOP candidates head for next year’s midterm elections. They are rushing to balance their desire for convenience and loyalty to Trump among many Republican voters. It is particularly sensitive in the Arizona Governor’s competition. both Bigs and Taylor Robson.
In an election cycle where it has historically tended to oppose the incumbent presidential party, Trump’s drastic denunciation of mail-in voting gives swing-state Republicans another reason to worry.
Republicans helped by mail ballot
GOP strategist Barrett Marson said email voting would help Republicans win Arizona’s race in the 2024 election, when Trump won five percent points and a statewide across the party. Expanded legislative majority.
“President Trump and his campaign had a program to track very successful votes in 2024, so it’s great for him to understand how he was and how successful he was in his efforts,” Marson said.
Trump sent around 51% of his 2,882,741 votes early in Arizona by mail. In a television interview last month, state Republican Chairman Gina Suboda said Voting Tracking And early voting “helped us to hold this election for Republicans.”
Email Vote It remains popular Along with voters, Trump last month called for an end to this practice with the exception of people who are true social and social, extremely sick and “distant military.” Earlier this month, he announced it. transfer We call our Space Command’s Universal Mail Voting System in Colorado from Colorado to Alabama “a big factor.”
Arizona’s margins have shrunk, and mail-in voting skepticism has grown
Trump is long I raise questions Mail-by-mail voting claims it is a path to fraud despite the lack of evidence of widespread issues. He sent it Conflict messages about it 2024 Just like Republicans made it Strategic shift Focusing on early voters ahead of the presidential election.
“President Trump is committed to ensuring that all voting cast members are done in a safe and transparent way and that they regain trust and integrity in the US election,” White House spokesman Abigail Jackson said in an email Tuesday.
This is especially true in Arizona, where around 85% of voters across the state voted in mail. Taylor Robson and Biggs himself have cast mail-in voting for nearly 20 years.
Arizona Republicans pioneered the expansion of vote-by-vote in the 1990s. However, in recent years, the nation has been whipped up by the integrity of elections. conspiracysome are thriving Voting count delay Maricopa County, the state’s population center. For example, Trump falsely claimed that he lost statewide statewide in 2020 with 10,457 votes, or 0.3% of nearly 3.4 million votes, and that the election was stolen. Democrat Attorney General Chris Mays beasted GOP opponents in the 2022 election only 280 votes (0.01 percent points).
Maricopa County is the country’s second largest electoral jurisdiction, after Los Angeles County. Counting email votes takes time, as you need to scan envelopes, organize your votes, and tally the signatures of voters that will be inspected before inspecting voter signatures.
GOP candidates face the dilemma
Taylor Robson coincided with Arizona business leader when he lost the governor’s race in 2022, but then she moved to the right. She has #maga with her X profile bio and the slogan “make Arizona stronger again.” In 2022, when she was not supported by Trump, she refused to say whether she had certified the 2020 election results. I didn’t go that much It calls election fraud.
Her first TV ads this year centered around Trump’s support for her run for the governor. In an interview with local radio stations, she said she agreed with the president on all the major issues that matter to Arizonans.
In a recent interview with KTAR, she sidesteps questions about voting by mail and noted that while she agrees with Trump about the need to “restore trust and integrity” in the election, she has not explicitly stated whether mail-in voting will be abolished. Her campaign refused to elaborate.
Biggs, former chairman of Far-Right House Freedom Caucus, was supported Trump’s false claims Regarding the stolen presidential election in 2020. In praise of the president’s budget bill, he said he would “always stretch his shoulders” with Trump in the fight against “bloated bureaucracy.”
But he breaks with the president when it comes to mail-in voting. Biggs campaign consultant Sean Noble said Biggs does not support canceling the email vote. Since Trump’s announcement, Biggs has encouraged in-person voting on social platform X.
“Encouraging in-person voting is not the same as repealing email voting,” Noble said in a text message. “He doesn’t support eliminating email voting.”
Katie Hobbs, of Arizona’s Democratic government, is running for reelection, but she said she will protect mail-in voting.
Nevada Governor faces similar challenges
Similar dynamics are being performed in nearby Nevada. Governor Joe LombardoRepublicans were strategic in him. Public Support Trump’s. He supports the president, but aims to build an independent profile as moderates in another state where close elections are common.
Lombardowho was it Approval Although it remained loyal due to Trump in 2022 It was rejected Trump’s false claim that the 2020 election was stolen.
During Monday’s reelection campaign, Lombardo made no specific mention of the email voting.
“I have committed to fighting for common sense election reform, like my voter ID,” he said.
That was the case for Lombardo’s 2022 election. I’ve been pulled out Partly because of the 2020 law that requires counties to accept mail votes by Election Day, even if they arrive four days later.
On the other hand, all states allow some form Email VoteNevada is one of eight states and the District of Columbia, and holds all elections almost entirely by mail. In three of the last four statewide elections, more Nevadans have voted by mail than they were voted in person. The exception was the 2024 general election, in which 45% of voters vote by mail.
Previously Lombardo I sought an end “Universal Mail-in Ballots” did not respond to multiple requests for comments as it supports suspending mail-in voting after Election Day. It is unclear whether he currently agrees to the call to abolish Trump’s phone voting altogether.
___
Maya Sweedler, a journalist at the Associated Press in Washington, contributed to the report.
___
Associated Press’ “Women in Workforce and State Government Compensation” receives financial support from An extremely important venture. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP standard A list of supporters and funded coverage areas to work with charities ap.org.
