Stephen Shadegg of Americans for Prosperity Assesses Arizona's Gubernatorial Race

Stephen Shadegg, the Arizona director for Americans for Prosperity, recently spoke with Cactus Politics about the upcoming gubernatorial race and what voters should be looking for.

When asked about the gubernatorial race featuring candidates Biggs and Robson, Shadegg said it's still too early to predict a clear winner.

"Because it's so early, it's hard to say if anybody has a clear path," Shadegg explained. "Most everyday individuals are not paying attention to the race at this point. I don't think that it's in a place where any one candidate clearly has the advantage in that direction."

However, he expressed his view on the quality of the candidates running.

"I do think that we have a group of good candidates, and I think that all three of them are capable of doing the job," he assessed. "It's just going to be a question of what the primary electorate decides to do."

As the primary heats up, the question of whether a Trump endorsement could decide the race has become a hot topic. Shadegg acknowledged that an endorsement carries weight but warned against assuming it guarantees victory. 

"A Trump endorsement carries weight because it's the president of the United States and it's Donald Trump," he commented. "But do I think it wins a race just by having the endorsement? No, because it's Arizona, and there's a relatively long record of being endorsed by Trump in Arizona that doesn't always lead to a victory."

Governor Hobbs' Record

Looking ahead to the legislative session, Shadegg encouraged voters to evaluate Governor Katie Hobbs' performance over the past three years by asking one simple question: Are [Arizonans] in a better place now than they were before?

"Are we in a better place from an economy perspective? Are we in a better place from a housing perspective? Are we in a better place where the costs are lower? Are we safer now than we were three years ago?" Shadegg questioned. "I would argue that the last three years would reflect her narrative of vetoing bills."

He criticized the governor for vetoing legislation that he says would have expanded economic opportunities for Arizonans. 

"When there's opportunity and there's legislation that comes across her table to expand economic opportunity in Arizona and to create growth opportunities, and she continues to veto them, it's hard to say that she's been a governor that's been advocating for Arizonans," Shadegg concluded.