Arizona GOP gubernatorial frontrunner Andy Biggs aims to reverse recent Republican defeats

Rep. Andy Biggs, the front-runner for the Republican nomination for Arizona governor, is seeking to distance himself from the recent string of statewide losses suffered by fellow GOP candidates who aligned closely with President Donald Trump. Biggs highlighted his bipartisan work with the late Sen. John McCain on legislation that helped Native American tribes issue missing-child alerts, a contrast to the rhetoric of 2022 gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake and Senate candidate Blake Masters, both of whom lost their races.

Biggs, a 67-year-old lawyer and former state legislator, told CNN at a get-out-the-vote rally that he views Arizona as a “red state” and that Republicans need to remind voters of that fact. He emphasized his record of conservative voting, his role as chair of the House Freedom Caucus, and his support from Turning Point USA, a youth-focused organization founded by the late activist Charlie Kirk.

His primary opponent, Rep. David Schweikert, warned that another Trump-backed candidate could jeopardize the party’s chances in the general election, urging voters to consider whether they are “tired of losing.” Schweikert and other challengers have criticized Biggs for past associations with far-right groups and for votes they say hindered protections for sexual-abuse survivors, though they have limited resources for broader outreach.

Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, who is seeking re-election, has begun highlighting Biggs’s opposition to Medicaid expansion, his past statements on abortion, and his involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Hobbs warned that a Biggs governorship would place “an election denier” in charge of a swing state, a claim Biggs has denied.

Both campaigns are courting Arizona’s sizable independent electorate, which comprises roughly a third of registered voters. While Biggs projects a measured, less flamboyant style than Lake or Masters, GOP strategist Barrett Marson noted that his lower profile could be a double-edged sword, offering a genuine conservative record but lacking the name-recognition that high-profile campaigns generate.

The primary is set for Tuesday, with the outcome expected to shape the GOP’s strategy to unseat Hobbs in what analysts consider one of the nation’s most competitive battleground states.