A Republican candidate for Arizona governor dropped out of the race hours before former President Donald Trump was set to speak at a rally with her top rival.
Kimberly Yee released a statement Saturday saying she will instead run for reelection as state treasurer.
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“I am withdrawing from the Governor’s race to stand for re-election as Treasurer. There is additional work to be done as the Treasurer of Arizona. As I transition my campaign, I want to thank my supporters and invite them to join me in my re-election efforts for Arizona Treasurer,” she said in a tweet. Yee did not endorse any other candidate for governor in her statement.
I am withdrawing from the Governor’s race to stand for re-election as Treasurer. There is additional work to be done as the Treasurer of Arizona. As I transition my campaign, I want to thank my supporters and invite them to join me in my re-election efforts for Arizona Treasurer. pic.twitter.com/WiArCuBisQ
— Kimberly Yee (@KimberlyYeeAZ) January 15, 2022
Yee, who is a former top member of the Arizona State Legislature, was competitive but lagging in the polls behind former television anchor Kari Lake, whom Trump has endorsed for governor.
Lake is expected at Trump’s rally in Florence, Arizona, at the Canyon Moon Ranch, among other Republican allies of the former president. “This Save America rally is a continuation of President Trump’s unprecedented effort to advance the MAGA agenda by energizing voters and highlighting America First candidates and causes,” Trump’s Save America PAC said in a statement. Trump is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. local time.
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Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican who cannot seek reelection in 2022 due to term limits, is speculated to be considering a run for Senate. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who has been a leading critic of the GOP-led Arizona Senate’s 2020 election audit in Maricopa County, is the top contender in the Democratic primary for governor.
Lake on Wednesday released her fundraising total, nearly $1.5 million, which was beaten by Hobbs’s total of more than $2.9 million.
