Former President Donald Trump-backed candidates Kari Lake, running for governor, and Blake Masters, running for U.S. Senate, have taken commanding leads in the polls just days before Arizona’s primaries.
The OH Predictive poll conducted on July 27 found that the GOP likely voters supported the Trump-backed candidates for office over the rest of the candidates’ respective fields.
Among the 502 respondents, Lake, a former local Fox 10 news anchor, held a double-digit lead, with 51 percent saying they would vote for her. The next closest competitor was Karrin Taylor Robson, with 33 percent of the vote.
The other candidates were Matt Salmon, with two percent of the vote, as well as Scott Neely and Paola Tulliani-Zen, with one percent. Twelve percent said they were unsure or refused to answer.
Lake captured 75 percent of the group of respondents who identified as Trump supporters.
The same poll found that Masters held a double-digit lead over his closest competitor. Masters garnered 36 percent support, while Jim Lamon only took in 21 percent.
The other Republican primary contenders were March Brnovich with 12 percent, Michael McGuire with five percent, and Justin Olson with three percent. Additionally, 22 percent said they were unsure or refused to answer.
The poll, which had a 4.37 percent margin of error, also found that Masters’ rise in the poll has come from Trump supporters, as 53 percent of the group support the Republican candidate.
The pollsters noted that, with only days left in the governor’s race, Lake has been gaining support, as the Arizona primary has gained attention due to the “proxy battle between the GOP Party and Trump loyalists”:
With only days left in the GOP Primary race for Governor, the latest polling shows Likely GOP Primary voters breaking heavy and hard for the former local Fox 10 News Anchor-turned gubernatorial candidate, Kari Lake. With one week before voters received early ballots, OHPI’s poll showed a close race between Lake and Robson – not anymore. Much has happened since the contest gained national attention as a proxy battle between the GOP Party and Trump loyalists – with lots of money spent in the process.
The poll showing the Trump-backed candidates are leading their respective primary fields came only days after Breitbart News’ Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle and political reporter Ashley Oliver wrote that there is a “proxy war” brewing in the Grand Canyon State.
The two wrote that the state that once elected Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) as senators may herald Trump’s return by electing his preferred candidates:
What has become a proxy war between Trump and several elements of the old donor class and seen skirmishes in other states like Georgia and Nebraska in gubernatorial primaries this year has now burst out into the wide open just two weeks ahead of the all-important August 2 election.
The battle that has been playing out all year has seen victories and losses for both sides — albeit far more wins for Trump and far more losses for the donor class establishment, though some early strategically-placed victories for the old guard had some wondering if Trump had lost his fastball. Trump is perfect in U.S. Senate primary endorsements so far this cycle, and also has a perfect endorsement record across 23 states after a win this week in Maryland’s gubernatorial primary against Never Trump Gov. Larry Hogan’s (R) handpicked candidate.
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While those battles are not happening yet directly in front of the public — they very much are playing out behind the scenes with consultants and party power brokers trying to change the landscape to deliver advantages to their favored players — Friday’s events in Arizona could very well be a major preview of things to come in the months and years ahead for Trump and for the party as a whole.
The poll also showed that 49 percent of respondents had already voted, while 51 percent said they were planning on voting.
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.
