--- description: Rep. Andy Biggs won the nomination for governor in Arizona. An ally of President Donald Trump, the Republican will face off in a closely watched race against Democratic incumbent Gov. Katie Hobbs. title: What to Know About Andy Biggs, the Trump-Backed Republican in Arizona’s Governor Race image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6c7bb68c22a400a0/6a611828c4493831624d07fc/AP26199182118289.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Arizona](/tag/arizona/) ## Arizona Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # What to Know About Andy Biggs, the Trump-Backed Republican in Arizona’s Governor Race  by [Rebecca Schneid](/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Reporter Jul 22, 2026 7:14 PM CUT  Republican Rep. Andy Biggs speaks at a campaign event in Gilbert, Arizona, ahead of the state's gubernatorial primary on July 17, 2026. Republican Rep. Andy Biggs speaks at a campaign event in Gilbert, Arizona, ahead of the state's gubernatorial primary on July 17, 2026.Ross D. Franklin—AP  by [Rebecca Schneid](/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Reporter Jul 22, 2026 7:14 PM CUT Rep. Andy Biggs won the Republican nomination for governor of Arizona on Tuesday, setting up a battle between him and [Democratic](https://time.com/article/2026/05/05/2026-blue-wave-as-big-as-the-one-in-2006-no-longer-seems-far-fetched/ "undefined") incumbent Gov. Katie Hobbs in one of the country’s most [competitive](https://time.com/7342090/midterms-elections-2026-newsom/ "undefined") battleground states. His win reflects the sway that President Donald [Trump](https://time.com/article/2026/07/17/trump-speech-elections-china-save-act-takeaways/ "undefined") has over the [Republican Party](https://time.com/article/2026/07/01/young-republicans-maga-trump/ "undefined"). Around 97% of candidates who were endorsed by Trump in 2026 swept their primary ballots as of mid-July, according to [Ballotpedia](https://www.facebook.com/Ballotpedia/posts/candidates-who-donald-trump-r-endorsed-in-2026-primaries-have-won-220-of-227-97-/1502008285302009/ "undefined"). **Read More:** [_Darline Graham Nordone Says She’ll Run for Full Term in Lindsey Graham’s Seat_](https://time.com/article/2026/07/20/darline-graham-nordone-lindsey-graham-senate-south-carolina-republican-primary/ "undefined") Trump celebrated the result on Truth Social on Wednesday, as well as the wins of several other down-ballot candidates he had endorsed in Arizona—like former NFL kicker Jay Feely, who will now face off for the First Congressional District, previously held by Republican Rep. David Schweikert. Schweikert gave up his bid for reelection in order to pursue the governor’s race and lost to Biggs on Tuesday. “MAGA CANDIDATES WON EVERYTHING LAST NIGHT IN ARIZONA, A COMPLETE SWEEP!!! I WON ARIZONA 18 MONTHS AGO. THE DUMOCRATS ARE DUMBFOUNDED,” [Trump](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116963640178728533 "undefined") said. “AFTER DECADES, ARIZONA IS BECOMING A REPUBLICAN STATE. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!” A Republican stronghold from 1952-2016—with the exception of President Bill Clinton’s narrow victory in 1996—Arizona became a key battleground after President Joe Biden flipped the state by a narrow 10,000 votes in 2020\. Trump won the state back in 2024, reinforcing Arizona's status as one of the nation's premier swing states. But Democrats continue to hold the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state posts, as well as both Senate seats, and they have controlled most of these offices for the past three years while the state experienced massive population growth and an expanding electorate. The Grand Canyon State will be closely watched in the midterms—especially because Democrats see Arizona as central to their effort to retake the House. Of the 18 districts the [Cook Political Report](https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings "undefined") has identified as a likely “toss up” in November, two of them are in Arizona: the First and Sixth districts. And the governor’s race is shaping up to be competitive: A May 18 poll by Noble Predictive Insights showed Hobbs leading Biggs 41% to 37%. Hobbs has acknowledged that this race will be hard-fought. “Look, I’m not listening to the pundits. I am doing what I need to win,” she told [reporters](https://www.facebook.com/KTARNews/videos/we-know-its-going-to-be-close-im-not-taking-a-single-vote-for-granted-gov-katie-/3167568390111425/ "undefined") in a press conference before the primary. “We know it’s going to be close. I’m not taking a single vote for granted.” “Let’s make this the year that we turn Arizona red again,” Biggs said in his [celebration speech](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbFtpFjgVug/ "undefined") on Tuesday. ## A longtime supporter of Trump and the MAGA movement Biggs was chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus from 2019 to 2022, and he has been part of the MAGA movement since Trump’s first term. He became a close ally to the President and openly questioned the legitimacy of the election in 2020\. Trump has long denied his loss to Biden, though his claims have been [repeatedly](https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55016029 "undefined") [debunked](https://time.com/7096453/election-2024-security/ "undefined"). By aligning with Trump, Biggs also garnered the endorsement of the late [Charlie Kirk](https://time.com/7316280/charlie-kirk-dead-political-violence/ "undefined") in [May 2025](https://www.facebook.com/biggsforarizona/videos/one-year-ago-charlie-kirk-endorsed-our-campaign-for-governori-will-always-be-gra/1650853872796829/ "undefined") and his gubernatorial bid earned the support of Kirk’s influential conservative activist organization, Turning Point USA. After Biggs was elected to the House in 2016, he was often embroiled in Republican infighting: playing a prominent role in efforts to [oust](https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/12/06/hard-right-rep-andy-biggs-to-oppose-mccarthy-for-house-speakership-could-cause-historic-floor-showdown/ "undefined") former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and publicly rebelling against current Speaker Mike Johnson. Biggs penned an op-ed in the [_Washington Times_](https://biggs.house.gov/media/op-eds/washington-times-speaker-johnsons-foreign-aid-bill-disaster "undefined") in 2024, calling Johnson’s foreign aid bill a “disaster.” This hardline approach to governance led former rival Schweikert to campaign with the suggestion that Biggs would be too extreme and “[unelectable”](https://www.kjzz.org/show/kjzzs-the-show/2026-04-17/the-show-for-april-17-2026-gov-katie-hobbs-bill-moratorium-the-analogs-finale "undefined") against a Democrat. But Republicans have publicly celebrated his win, including Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte. “Congratulations to Andy Biggs on his primary victory,” Gianforte said in a [statement](https://www.rga.org/rga-statement-arizona-republican-gubernatorial-primary/ "undefined") Tuesday. “Throughout his career in public service, Andy has fought to lower costs, grow Arizona’s economy, unleash American energy, and secure the border.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/07/22/what-to-know-about-andy-biggs-the-trump-backed-republican-in-arizonas-governor-race/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/07/22/what-to-know-about-andy-biggs-the-trump-backed-republican-in-arizonas-governor-race/"},"headline":"What to Know About Andy Biggs, the Trump-Backed Republican in Arizona’s Governor Race","datePublished":"2026-07-22T19:14:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-07-22T20:30:41.154Z","description":"Rep. Andy Biggs won the nomination for governor in Arizona. 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