In a high-profile Republican primary race, state Rep. Alexander Kolodin has collected more than $398,000 in his bid to be the party nominee for secretary of state.
After expenses, Kolodin said he had nearly $292,000 cash on hand.
His opponent, Gina Swoboda, former chair of the Arizona Republican Party, said she collected about $227,000 since entering the secretary of state race after giving up on a congressional bid. That also includes nearly $54,000 in personal loans.
All that leaves her with about $22,600 in the bank.
But she also has something else: A history of backing by President Donald Trump, including a specific endorsement when she was first considering weighing a run for Congress this year.
So far, Trump has made no formal endorsement in the secretary of state race. But he did repost on his Truth Social account an endorsement Swoboda got from the Arizona Police Association.
Howard Fischer is a veteran journalist who has been reporting since 1970 and covering state politics and the Legislature since 1982. Follow him on X, Bluesky and Threads at @azcapmedia or email azcapmedia@gmail.com.
