(PresidentialInsider.com)- Matt Salmon is returning to Arizona politics after almost 20 years away from the game.
The former congressman said Wednesday that he would re-enter politics, announcing he would throw his name into the ring for Arizona’s upcoming gubernatorial election.
The Republican recently received an endorsement from the Club for Growth Political Action Committee on Wednesday. The PAC, which is conservative leaning, saw 80% of the candidates they endorsed win election during 2020.
Club for Growth PAC already endorsed Ron DeSantis for re-election as governor of Florida.
As David McIntosh, the president of Club for Growth PAC, said:
“Arizonans can count on Matt Salmon to build a strong economy for all Arizonans and protect their hard-earned taxpayer dollars. We look forward to supporting his campaign to be the next Arizona Governor.”
Doug Ducey, Arizona’s current governor, will finish his second term at the head of the state in early 2023. Along with 26 other states, Arizona doesn’t allow governors to serve more than two terms in a row. That means the 2022 election will be an important one for Arizona politics.
Following the endorsement from Club for Growth PAC, Salmon thanked the organization for their support on Twitter by writing:
“Honored to receive @Club4growth PAC’s endorsement to be the next governor of Arizona. I’ve always believed that prosperity and opportunity come from economic freedom, and I’ll work to ensure our state remains guided by that fundamental truth.”
Salmon started in politics when he first won election as a state senator in 1991. Three years later, he moved to federal politics when he won a seat in Congress.
In 2000, he left Congress to run for governor two years later. In that 2002 election, he lost to Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, by a mere 12,000 votes.
Since 2009, a Republican has held the position of governor in Arizona. However, the state has started to turn blue in the years since. President Joe Biden flipped the state blue in the presidential election last year.
Senator Mark Kelly also did the same when he defeated Martha McSally in a special election. No other congressional seats flipped in the 2020 election, but progressives maintain a hold of five of Arizona’s nine seats. This may make it challenging for Salmon to beat out the Democratic challenger for governor.
Still, Salmon is reminding voters of his strong conservative ties and assuring them that the bright future lies ahead with a Republican in the Arizona governor’s seat.
In a video he released when he announced he would be running for governor, Salmon said:
“I’m 100% pro-life. I was A-rated by the NRA. And I believe in strong borders and an Arizona-first agenda.
“But, today, the Arizona values we cherish, they’re under attack from Washington, from liberals here at home. Open borders and closed classrooms. Crushing tax hikes and socialism. Censorship and cancel culture.
“Radical Democrats are pushing the most far-left agenda in our lifetime. We can’t allow liberal politicians to turn Arizona into California.”
