Arizona Republicans are choosing nominees Tuesday in primaries that will set the field for competitive races against Democratic officeholders in a battleground state the GOP once dominated. The most closely watched contest is the gubernatorial primary, where two sitting U.S. House members are competing to face Gov. Katie Hobbs.
U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs and David Schweikert, who represent neighboring districts in metro Phoenix, offer contrasting visions for how Republicans can win back a governorship they haven't held since 2009. The winner will face Hobbs, whom nonpartisan handicappers rate as the most vulnerable Democratic governor in the country this cycle.
What the Left Is Saying
Arizona Democrats have zeroed in on Andy Biggs as their preferred Republican opponent, signaling they believe his record makes him easier to beat in a general election. The party plans to portray him as an extremist focused on aiding former President Donald Trump rather than addressing bread-and-butter issues facing Arizona families.
Biggs built his national profile as chair of the House Freedom Caucus from 2019 to 2022 and became a prominent defender of Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He voted against accepting Electoral College votes from Arizona and other battleground states after the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Schweikert, by contrast, has carefully maintained distance from Trump's most controversial actions while avoiding direct confrontation with the former president. This approach has helped him win multiple competitive races in Arizona's 1st Congressional District, a suburban seat that backed both Trump and Democrat Kyrsten Sinema in Senate contests.
What the Right Is Saying
Biggs argues his alignment with Trump and support from Turning Point Action, a conservative grassroots organization, gives him the electoral coalition needed to defeat Hobbs. He contends he can unite the party base in a way that more establishment-aligned Republicans have failed to achieve.
Schweikert counters that his track record of winning difficult suburban districts demonstrates an ability to appeal to swing voters who have grown uncomfortable with Trump's influence on the party. His low-key, pro-business messaging emphasizes fiscal conservatism without the cultural confrontations that alienated moderate Republicans in recent cycles.
Both candidates are House members, meaning Tuesday's winner will trigger a separate special election to fill their seat if they prevail in the gubernatorial race.
What the Numbers Show
Arizona hasn't elected a Republican governor since 2009, when Jan Brewer completed the remainder of Janet Napolitano's term after she became Obama administration homeland security secretary. The state's voter registration has shifted dramatically over the past decade, with Republicans now holding a smaller share of the electorate than in previous cycles.
The gubernatorial race is one of three high-profile Republican primaries for statewide offices. Republicans are also selecting nominees for secretary of state and attorney general, positions that would give the party control over election administration and legal challenges in a state that was central to Trump's post-2020 political battles.
In Arizona's 1st Congressional District, where Schweikert currently serves, both parties have competitive primaries to replace him. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has endorsed Marlene Galán-Woods, a former television news anchor who was previously registered as a Republican. Her late husband, Grant Woods, served as Republican attorney general in the 1990s before becoming a Trump critic.
Galán-Woods faces Democrat Amish Shah, an emergency medicine doctor and former state legislator who narrowly lost to Schweikert in 2024. On the Republican side, Jay Feeley, a former Arizona Cardinals kicker with Trump's endorsement, is among candidates competing for the seat despite facing criticism that he lives outside the district.
The Bottom Line
Tuesday's primaries will determine whether Arizona Republicans nominate Trump-aligned candidates capable of winning statewide races or opt for more moderate voices who might perform better in November. The outcomes will shape competitive House races that could determine control of Congress and test whether Trump's endorsement remains a decisive factor in Republican primaries.
The gubernatorial race is particularly significant because Arizona's governorship is the only statewide Democratic-held office not requiring a federal election to fill, giving Republicans their best opportunity for a major pickup this cycle. Election results are expected late Tuesday evening.