Mediaboss Marketing

Donald Trump is returning to the Grand Canyon State just two weeks ahead of the primary election to stump for his chosen candidates from U.S. Senate down the ballot to state legislative races.

The former president will hold a rally Saturday afternoon in Prescott Valley. An event announcement sent by his Save America political action committee said Trump would deliver "remarks in support of Kari Lake for Governor, Blake Masters for U.S. Senate, and the entire Arizona Trump Ticket."

The 45th president will speak at roughly 4 p.m. at Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. As is routine at his rallies, a lineup of speakers will stoke the crowd beginning at 1 p.m.

Trump's appearance in Arizona, his second this year, serves to energize voters to cast their ballots in one of the most closely watched states on the national map, where the top races are all deemed toss-ups winnable by either party by election forecasters.

Trump has endorsed a candidate in every major race this cycle, including Masters, Lake, Mark Finchem for secretary of state and Abe Hamedeh for attorney general. He's also put his support behind a handful of candidates for state legislature.The political power of Trump's endorsementswas tested in elections across the country this year, with mixed results.

Top aide: Trump encouraged weapons at Jan. 6 rally, fought Secret Service to join march

Nearly two years after his election defeat, Trump continues as an influential force on some voters within the Republican party, many of whom adhere to his false claims the 2020 election was stolen. His endorsed candidates have shown fealty to those claims, and some have paid handsomely for fundraisers with Trump at his Florida residence.

Still, there was no evidence of widespread fraud uncovered in dozens of lawsuits nor the Arizona Senate's ballot review that would validate Trump's claims. Testimony during recent Congressional hearings about the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has also included Trump's advisers, including attorney general William Barr, who told the president there was no such evidence to support his claims.

Though the ex-president sought to wage war on the security of mail-in ballots, he has more recently set aside those concerns, encouraging people to vote early in support of Lake.

Though Lake filed legal paperwork in support of the Republican Party of Arizona's effort to end mail-in voting, last week she encouraged Arizonans who received their ballots to"be sure you fill yours out and send it back or vote in person August 2!"

It's not only Republican candidates who seek to benefitfrom Trump's visit, however.Even before details of the rally were officially confirmed, Katie Hobbs, the secretary of state and a Democratic candidate for governor, sent two fundraising pleas invoking both Lake and Trump's forthcoming visit.

"We have a real opportunity to win this toss-up race, and Trump knows it which is why he's coming back to rally his base," the Hobbs campaign email reads. "Your support will help us respond to whatever he and Kari Lake have planned."

Trump last visited the state during a January trip to Florence, his first rally of the year.

Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.com or 480-416-5669. Follow her on Twitter@sbarchenger.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

See more here:
Trump coming to Arizona for rally in support of Kari Lake, Blake Masters and other GOP candidates - The Arizona Republic