Biggs Wins Republican Nomination

Primary election season continues, as U.S. Representative Andy Biggs won the Republican primary for the Arizona governor’s seat on July 22, 2026. Biggs will face Democrat Katie Hobbs in the general election in November. Primary elections can provide insight into how voters feel about candidates and issues. Noticing voter trends in primaries can give clues about how candidates might perform in the general election.  

Who is Andy Biggs? 

Congressman Biggs is currently serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Biggs previously served in the Arizona state legislature for fourteen years. He was the Arizona Senate President for the last four years of that time. He is a retired attorney and was the chair of the House Freedom Caucus (a group of about forty Republican lawmakers) from 2019 to 2022. House Freedom Caucus lawmakers are more conservative than their Republican colleagues. They work together to influence policymaking in Congress. In addition, Biggs is co-chair of the Border Security Caucus, and the War Powers Caucus. 

Biggs is a strong supporter of President Trump. Trump, in turn, has endorsed Biggs’ campaign. One interesting trend to consider in primary elections is whether candidates perform better or worse with the support of the sitting president. In this case, Trump’s support was helpful to Biggs. This may encourage other Republican candidates to seek the president’s support as well. As of July 2026, about 97percent of the candidates endorsed by Trump had won their Republican primaries. 

Biggs easily defeated his primary opponent, fellow Republican U.S. Representative David Schweikert. It is to be determined if his conservative values and close links to Trump may make him unappealing to independent voters in the general election.  

Looking Ahead 

In November, Biggs will face off against the current governor, Democrat Katie Hobbs. Arizona is considered a key battleground state. It trends Republican overall, and the GOP controls both chambers of the state legislature. But Democrats currently hold both of the state’s U.S. Senate seats, as well as the three top statewide offices (governor, secretary of state, and attorney general).  

Even though Governor Hobbs is the incumbent, she faces a tough road as well. Four years ago, she narrowly beat Republican Kari Lake by less than 1 percentage point. Since then, Republican voter registration in the state has grown, while Democratic registration has fallen. This has increased the GOP’s overall political influence in the state. Currently, polls show Hobbs leading Biggs 41percent to 37percent. Experts predict that Arizona could be one of the closest governor races to watch in November. 

What Do You Think? Based on what you’ve read, who do you think has a better shot at winning the governor’s seat: Governor Hobbs, the Democrat, or Andy Biggs, the Republican? Give three reasons why you think so.