President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Alexander Kolodin for Arizona secretary of state over the weekend, immediately boosting his standing in the November general election against Democratic incumbent Adrian Fontes.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump gave Kolodin his “complete and total endorsement,” saying he would “never let voters down.” Trump described Kolodin as tough, smart and a proven winner, adding that Kolodin supported him during his presidential victory and promising a rally to help him win the race.
According to KJZZ, a Phoenix-based NPR member station, the endorsement marked Trump’s first backing of a statewide Arizona candidate this election cycle outside of Republican Congressman Andy Biggs, who is running for governor and also won his primary.
Trump had previously praised Kolodin and other Republican candidates during a Phoenix rally in April 2026 but stopped short of issuing formal endorsements at the time.
Kolodin, an Arizona state representative and election attorney, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to KJZZ.
Prediction markets show immediate movement
The prediction market Kalshi shifted toward Kolodin within hours of Trump’s endorsement, placing his chances of winning at 18.1 percent as of Sunday morning, up six percentage points from the previous day.
Fontes remained the clear favorite at 81 percent. Kolodin’s odds reached 19 percent on July 22, while his highest recorded probability on the platform was 31 percent on December 28, 2025.
Prediction markets measure market sentiment and are not the same as traditional scientific polling.
Background on the primary race
Kolodin defeated former Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda, who had previously received Trump’s endorsement multiple times, including during an earlier congressional bid before switching to the secretary of state race.
According to Arizona Mirror, Kolodin was sanctioned by the Arizona State Bar in 2023 for his involvement in lawsuits challenging the 2020 election that made unsupported claims of widespread fraud. He also represented Trump’s campaign in Arizona’s “Kraken” lawsuit, which relied on allegations from individuals without direct knowledge of the election process.
Arizona Mirror reported that while Kolodin criticized Swoboda for previously being a Democrat, Trump had backed her in 2024 when she became Arizona GOP chairwoman. Before that, she led the Voter Reference Foundation, a Trump-aligned nonprofit.
During the primary campaign, Swoboda argued Kolodin was unelectable and predicted Fontes would win reelection, according to the outlet.
What the office oversees
The Arizona secretary of state’s office oversees statewide election administration, including certification of voting equipment, election results, candidates and ballot measures.
According to NBC News, Fontes previously managed elections in Maricopa County, Arizona’s largest county and has been a vocal critic of Trump and his allies’ efforts to challenge election results in Arizona and other states.
Fontes defeated a Trump-backed Republican challenger in the 2022 election.
