For Arizona Republicans, the run-up to the July governor primary is shaping up as a referendum over the party’s direction after years of internal ideological conflict and shifting political ground in the state. A sign posted outside a meeting of Arizona Republicans used the slogan “Let’s win not clash” as candidates for governor sought to win over both hard-right supporters and party regulars.
The contest features two U.S. House members with different brands of Republican politics. U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, representing a deep red district, is leading the field in the July primary because he carries backing from President Donald Trump and from the conservative youth group Turning Point USA. His rival is U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, a budget hawk who has repeatedly defeated Democrats in his competitive and wealthy purple district.
Whoever wins the Republican primary is set to face Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in the general election. Hobbs defeated Trump-backed Kari Lake in the last gubernatorial race and is now running for a second term.
Some longtime Republicans have argued in private and in public that the party has shifted away from more traditional approaches. Longtime consultant Paul Bentz said the Republicans who have bemoaned what he described as a takeover of the party are not the same people who show up for precinct committee meetings, knock on doors, or attend rallies. “The folks that have bemoaned the takeover of the party, the people who wish to go back to the more traditional Republican ways, aren’t the folks that show up at the precinct committee meetings, aren’t the folks that go knock on doors and aren’t folks that have showed up at rallies,” Bentz said.
Arizona has long been a key proving ground for Republicans, with figures such as Barry Goldwater and John McCain associated with the state’s earlier conservative mainstream. In more recent cycles, though, Democrats have made gains and Republicans have struggled to sustain statewide victories despite Trump’s support. The story line cited by Associated Press notes that Trump won Arizona in 2016, lost in 2020 and won again in 2024, while Arizona has not elected a Republican governor since 2018.
A reminder of that balancing act came earlier in the primary when housing developer Karrin Taylor Robson dropped out. The AP report said she was rooted in a pro-business, fiscally conservative wing of the party, lost to Lake in the 2022 primary, and then sought to reframe her candidacy during her second attempt this year as a Trump-aligned culture warrior; Trump endorsed both Taylor Robson and Biggs. Still, at least one party regular questioned whether her appeal was authentic, saying Taylor Robson “bought” the president’s backing. “I think she’s fake,” said Anna Peto, a state party committeewoman from Pima County who attended the state party meeting last month.
Biggs, for his part, is leaning into a MAGA-oriented message aimed at energizing the base. One voter, Marie Groves, said she sees Biggs as standing for “justice” in women’s sports and all human life “starting at conception.” Biggs has also tied the next phase of Republican power in Arizona to redistricting, saying he has experience to steer the process in the GOP’s favor. He has also vowed to overhaul the elections system, a theme that draws on his alignment with Trump’s efforts to contest the 2020 election outcome.
Biggs, in an interview, said his goal is to broaden support beyond the core base for the general election. “My goal is to mobilize everybody,” he said. His campaign is also highlighting support from Turning Point USA, with Erika Kirk, described by Associated Press as taking over the organization’s leadership after the assassination of her husband Charlie last year, telling supporters: “Go Biggs or go home.” Kendall Brittingham, a 32-year-old stay-at-home mother who said she viewed Charlie Kirk’s endorsement as meaningful, said it gives “a lot of credence to Andy Biggs.”
Schweikert, by contrast, is presenting himself as a candidate who can win without relying on Trump’s endorsement. He said seeking that support is not required, telling Associated Press that even “some of the Biggs people” have approached him to say they consider Biggs unable to win the general election. “Even some of the Biggs people, they’ll come up to me and say, ‘Uh, we know he can’t win the general election but he’s our friend,’” Schweikert said. “I think the activists are tired of losing,” he added.
In describing his strategy, Schweikert has emphasized economic credibility and balancing the state budget. The AP report cited his campaigning in Biggs’ district, including an event in Queen Creek where he leaned on his economic record. Brian Symes, a mortgage broker who said he has known both men for years, said he is supporting Schweikert because he believes Schweikert is the only candidate who can unite the party. “I think it would be very tough for Andy to win,” Symes said.