PHOENIX — Republican voters just got a fifth choice for governor.
Steve Gaynor, who lost a race for secretary of state four years ago to Democrat Katie Hobbs, announced Friday that he is now going after the top slot on the ballot.
In a prepared statement, Gaynor sought to position himself as an outsider who can deal with the problems of securing the border, election integrity, water shortage, public education and critical race theory, "all intensified by a virus from China.''
"Career politicians and political insiders have gotten us into this, but they can't get us out,'' he said, a salvo likely aimed at state Treasurer Kimberly Yee and former Congressman Matt Salmon, who already are in the GOP race.
Gaynor, a Paradise Valley business owner, gained attention four years ago when he defeated incumbent Secretary of State Michele Reagan in the Republican primary. But he narrowly lost the general election to Hobbs.
In running for secretary of state, Gaynor caused a bit of a stir with comments that ballots should be printed only in English.
He conceded that would require overturning a key portion of the federal Voting Rights Act, which requires counties and cities to provide election materials in other languages when there are significant numbers of voters for whom English is not their first language. Hobbs said Gaynor was seeking ways to suppress minority voting.
Also in the hunt for the GOP nomination for governor are former TV anchor Kari Lake and Karrin Taylor Robson, a member of the Arizona Board of Regents.
Democratic contenders include Hobbs as well as Marco Lopez, a former Nogales mayor.
Incumbent Republican Doug Ducey is constitutionally precluded from seeking a third term.
