Republican Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs won the GOP nomination for governor Tuesday, setting up a November showdown with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in one of the country’s most closely watched gubernatorial contests.
NBC News projected Biggs’ victory after he defeated fellow Arizona Rep. David Schweikert and two other candidates. The Arizona Secretary of State’s unofficial results portal posted returns, with the official statewide canvass scheduled for Aug. 6.
Biggs, a former House Freedom Caucus chairman and longtime ally of President Donald Trump, entered the primary with Trump’s endorsement and backing from Turning Point Action. The Associated Press reported that he won decisively over Schweikert, who campaigned as a more traditional Republican and argued he was better positioned to defeat Hobbs in November.
Biggs called for GOP unity after securing the nomination. “Let’s make this the year that we turn Arizona red again,” he told supporters.
Hobbs, who faced no Democratic primary opponent, responded that “the more Arizonans learn about Biggs, the more they’ll realize he’s one big problem they can’t afford.” She narrowly defeated Republican Kari Lake in 2022 by less than one percentage point, underscoring Arizona’s battleground status.
Reuters noted that Republicans hold a voter-registration advantage in Arizona, but a large bloc of independent voters can swing close statewide elections. The race will mark the first Arizona gubernatorial election in which nominees choose running mates for the newly created lieutenant governor position. Biggs and Hobbs have until early September to announce their selections.
Arizona voters will decide the race in the Nov. 3 general election.
