With two years left of Gov. Doug Ducey’s term, challenges to his leadership are being made within the state’s Republican Party. But political consultant Chuck Coughlin says Republicans will have a hard time filling that power vacuum in statewide elections.
He says the issue is Trump’s adoption of the Republican Party as his own brand and the party’s turn towards “ideological purity.”
“That’s not a statewide brand that’s electable in Arizona, and I know that’s contentious. I’ve seen both Congressman Gosar and Kelli Ward debate that topic. They think they can win, but there’s no evidence of that,” Coughlin said.
In order to win a statewide election, Coughlin says Republicans must carry Maricopa County, but with their Trump branding, he predicts they won’t be able to.
