But Farley said it works to his advantage that the state's gubernatorial race is not the same year as the presidential contest.

"Traditionally, when you look at the first off-year presidential election for this state, folks go heavily against the party in power in D.C.,'' he said. And Farley is counting on disenchantment with both the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled U.S. House and Senate.

He also pointed out that the last time Arizona voters choose a Democrat for governor was in 2002 — and again in 2006 — electing Janet Napolitano. And both years there was a Republican in the White House.

Farley is focused on the state's tax policies and how he believes they can be improved.

He conceded that by the time of the 2018 election many of the tax cuts previously approved by the Republican-controlled legislature will already have kicked in. That includes a 30 percent reduction in the corporate income tax rate and a change in the law that allows some manufacturers who do not sell their products in Arizona to entirely escape state corporate income taxes.

"Yeah, but it could get much worse if he gets reelected and carries through on his promise to eliminate the state income tax,'' Farley said.