Rep. Andy Biggs secured Arizona’s Republican nomination for governor Tuesday, advancing to a high-stakes general election in November.
Biggs, a six-term congressman and former chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, will face Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who ran unopposed in the primary, as Republicans seek to reclaim the governor’s office in the battleground state.
Biggs defeated fellow Rep. David Schweikert, along with businessmen Ken Miceli and Scott Neely, after a campaign that exposed divisions within Arizona’s Republican Party between its MAGA wing and more traditional conservatives.
President Donald Trump endorsed Biggs, repeatedly urging Republicans to support the congressman. Biggs also received backing from Turning Point Action, the conservative grassroots organization that played a major role in mobilizing Republican voters during the primary campaign.
Biggs has represented Arizona in Congress since 2017 after serving in the Arizona Legislature, including as president of the Arizona Senate. Before entering politics, he worked as an attorney and prosecutor.
In Congress, Biggs became a leading member of the House Freedom Caucus and emerged as one of Trump’s closest allies on Capitol Hill. He frequently advocated for reduced federal spending, stricter immigration enforcement and expanded border security while opposing many bipartisan spending measures.
Biggs also became a prominent supporter of Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. He objected to the certification electoral votes following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of former President Joe Biden’s victory despite courts, state election officials and Trump’s own administration finding no evidence of widespread fraud that would have changed the election outcome.
Throughout the campaign, Biggs embraced his conservative record and argued Arizona needed stronger leadership on immigration, public safety and government spending. His campaign focused heavily on border security and criticism of Hobbs’ administration, themes that resonated with the Republican base.
Schweikert, by contrast, argued Republicans needed a broader coalition to win statewide elections after a string of GOP losses in Arizona. He emphasized fiscal policy and appealed to independents and moderate Republicans, warning that the party needed to expand beyond its core supporters to defeat Hobbs in November.
Ahead of Election Day, polling conducted July 8 and 9 found Biggs with a commanding lead, receiving 66% support to Schweikert’s 10%.
The race has drawn attention as Republicans look to regain momentum in a state that has shifted from reliably Republican to one of the country’s premier battlegrounds. Democrats currently hold the governorship as well as other statewide offices despite Republicans maintaining a voter registration advantage.
With the primary settled, the general election is expected to become one of the nation’s marquee gubernatorial contests, testing whether Trump’s political influence and Biggs’ conservative message can return the governor’s office to Republican control.
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