NOW PLAYING
Republican Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) will take on Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) in the state’s highly competitive gubernatorial race this fall, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Biggs, backed by President Trump, defeated primary rival Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) in the state that Trump won in both 2024 and 2016. Hobbs ran uncontested in the Democratic primary.
Though Trump has previously supported Schweikert for Congress, he gave Biggs his blessing for the governor’s race. The president had initially backed businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson for the post before Biggs announced, but she ended her gubernatorial bid in February in the hopes that her party would avoid a divisive, draining primary.
Cook Political Report considers Hobbs “the most endangered Democratic incumbent” governor this cycle, as other similarly competitive races — a toss-up in Wisconsin and a “lean Democratic” race in Michigan — are open seats.
But the election handicapper shifted the Arizona race toward Democrats in the weeks ahead of the primary, citing Hobbs’s fundraising advantage and her relatively strong approval ratings. It moved from “toss up” territory to the “lean Democratic” column.
“With an environment that’s favoring Democrats and a potentially polarizing and deeply conservative nominee in Rep. Andy Biggs, a 2020 election denier, this is a contest Republicans sound less optimistic about,” analysts said.
Hobbs rose to national prominence as Arizona secretary of state amid Trump’s unproven claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. She won her first term in the governor’s office in 2022, defeating divisive Trump ally Kari Lake and marking the first time in nearly 20 years that a Democrat controlled the office.
Biggs has been a major Trump backer since he entered the House in 2017. He challenged Trump’s 2020 loss in the state even as he won reelection on the same ballot and is a co-sponsor of the SAVE America Act, a top priority for the president as he works to reshape U.S. elections
Democratic Governors Association executive director Meghan Meehan-Draper ripped Biggs in a statement following his primary victory.
“At every turn, he’s put his own extreme agenda and powerful insiders first at the expense of everyday Arizonans,” she said, later adding, “Even his own party is warning he’s too extreme for Arizona, and we’re going to ensure he’s rejected at the ballot box in November.”
Updated at 11:42 p.m. EDT
Add as preferred source on Google Tags Andy Biggs David Schweikert Katie HobbsCopyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Comments: Link copiedMore Campaign News
See All
Campaign 2020 election denier wins GOP primary for secretary of state in Arizona by Caroline Vakil 36 minutes ago Campaign / 36 minutes ago 
