On Sunday, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey joined Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union,” where he discussed a wide range of topics, including the Arizona GOP gubernatorial Race and Donald Trump.

Bash, calling Kari Lake an election denier, asked Ducey about Trump’s endorsement of Lake. Ducey said:

“Well, Kari Lake is misleading voters with no evidence. She’s been tagged by her opponents with a nickname, Fake Lake, which seems to be sticking and actually doing some damage. Karrin Taylor Robson started from zero, and now this is a margin of error race.”

Ducey mentioned that Robson is a true conservative who will focus on the interests of Arizona.

“Well, the names on the ballot are Karrin Taylor Robson and Kari Lake. And Karrin Taylor Robson is the real conservative. She’s the real deal. She started her career working for Ronald Reagan. She’s pro-wall, pro-gun, pro-life. She’s the mother of four. She has been a community leader and a successful businessperson. And I think Karrin Taylor Robson will be the best person to be a fresh new leader for the state of Arizona. Her opponent, on the other hand, bears no resemblance, her campaign or even her personal interactions with me, to anything she’s done over the past 30 years. This is all an act. She’s been putting on a show for some time now. And we will see if the voters of Arizona buy it.”

.@DougDucey tells @DanaBashCNN that he's backing his candidates in Arizona because "I know that they will not mislead voters." #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/8aT4xRAp5G

— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) July 17, 2022

He was asked by Bash if former President Trump’s actions on January 6 should disqualify him from holding public office; Ducey said:

“Dana, I condemned January 6. And I think everyone that broke the law should be held accountable. In our system, this is up to the voters on what happens next. So many people want to talk about 2024. And I want to resist that temptation to talk about hypotheticals. I think the best way for us to turn this page and to move forward as a conservative Republican Party and a country is to make sure we get the best possible people elected in 2022.And that’s my focus, as well as running the state of Arizona, every single day.”

Ducey was asked whether he would support Trump in 2024 if he decides to run for President.

“I think we will have options in the 2024 primary race. I am hopeful we will have options. And I want somebody who can win that general election, because I believe, with success in 2022, the general election is the Republican Party’s for the taking.”

As candidates gear up for a Presidential run, conservatives like Ducey could be looking for another option in 2024, such as Ron DeSantis or Glenn Youngkin.

But first, as Ducey pointed out, the goal is to elect as many GOP candidates as possible in 2022 before thinking about 2024.

It is clear that Ducey favors, in his words, the real conservative Karrin Taylor Robson to become the next Governor of Arizona. Moderate Republicans are skeptical of Lake, similar to Mastriano, because they are an easy target for Democrats in the General Election, even during a likely red wave.

Some believe Robson is the safer option, not only because she is a “real” conservative, but because the Democratic nominee will need to run on policies, and with inflation at a 40-year high and the southern border crisis, residents in Arizona will think twice before voting for the Democratic nominee. But if Lake is the nominee, Democrats could come out in droves to make sure the Trump-endorsed candidate does not win in the General Election. Lake could also turn off independent voters in the Grand Canyon State.

The Arizona primary is on August 2.