Arizona Republicans Choose Nominees for Governor and Top State Offices/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Arizona Republicans are selecting nominees for governor, secretary of state and attorney general as the party seeks to regain power in the battleground state. Reps. Andy Biggs and David Schweikert offer competing political strategies in the race to challenge Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. Voters are also determining the nominees in competitive House contests that could help decide control of Congress.
Quick Look
- Arizona is holding closely watched primary elections Tuesday.
- Republicans are choosing a candidate to challenge Gov. Katie Hobbs.
- Reps. Andy Biggs and David Schweikert are competing for the GOP nomination.
- Trump endorsed Biggs in the governor’s race.
- Turning Point Action is supporting Biggs’ turnout operation.
- Schweikert argues his fiscal conservatism can attract swing voters.
- Hobbs is considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic governors in 2026.
- Republicans are also selecting nominees for secretary of state and attorney general.
- Both offices hold significant authority over Arizona elections.
- Both parties have competitive primaries in the 1st Congressional District.
- Marlene Galán-Woods and Amish Shah are the leading Democratic candidates there.
- Trump endorsed former NFL player Jay Feeley in the Republican primary.
- Feeley faces Joseph Chaplik and John Trobough.
- JoAnna Mendoza will challenge Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani in November.
- Mark Lamb faces Daniel Keenan for the safe Republican seat Biggs is vacating.
- Lamb denies allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse of power.
- The county attorney cleared Lamb of criminal wrongdoing.
Deep Look
Arizona Republicans Choose Candidates
PHOENIX — Arizona Republicans are selecting nominees Tuesday for governor and other top offices as the party seeks a path back to power in a battleground state it once dominated.
The most prominent contest features US Reps. Andy Biggs and David Schweikert, who are competing for the Republican nomination for governor.
The winner will challenge Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in November.
Hobbs is considered the most endangered Democratic governor facing reelection during the 2026 cycle.
Biggs and Schweikert Offer Different Strategies
Biggs and Schweikert represent neighboring congressional districts in the Phoenix metropolitan area but have adopted different approaches to Republican politics.
Biggs is closely aligned with President Donald Trump and has the president’s endorsement.
He is also receiving organizational support from Turning Point Action, a conservative group with an extensive grassroots voter-turnout network in Arizona.
Biggs argues that his support among Trump’s base will allow him to unite Republicans before the general election.
Schweikert Appeals to Swing Voters
Schweikert presents himself as a low-key, business-oriented fiscal conservative.
He argues that his approach can recover support from voters alienated by several Trump-aligned Arizona candidates, including Kari Lake.
Lake was the Republican nominee for governor in 2022 but lost to Hobbs.
Schweikert points to his history of winning close elections in a competitive congressional district as evidence that he can attract independent and swing voters.
Different Responses to Trump’s GOP
Biggs built a national following as chairman of the House Freedom Caucus from 2019 through 2022.
He became one of Trump’s most committed congressional defenders and assisted the effort to prevent certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
Following the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol, Biggs voted against accepting Electoral College votes from Arizona and other battleground states.
Schweikert has taken a more cautious approach, maintaining some political distance from Trump without openly antagonizing him.
That strategy helped Schweikert survive a series of difficult House races but left him with limited support among Trump’s “Make America Great Again” base.
Biggs Experienced in Republican Conflicts
Biggs has represented safely Republican congressional districts and has extensive experience in internal GOP disputes.
Before joining Congress, he served as president of the Arizona Senate.
He nearly lost that leadership position during a confrontation with Republican Gov. Jan Brewer over her effort to expand Medicaid.
Democrats have concentrated their early attacks on Biggs and plan to portray him as an extremist more focused on Trump than Arizona residents.
Election Offices Also on Ballot
Republicans are also choosing nominees for secretary of state and attorney general.
Both positions hold significant authority over elections and election-related litigation.
The offices carry particular importance in Arizona because the state was central to Trump’s effort to overturn his 2020 loss.
The outcome of those races could influence how Arizona administers future elections and responds to legal challenges.
1st District Is Major House Battleground
Both parties are holding competitive primaries to replace Schweikert in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District.
The district is expected to become one of the country’s most closely watched House races.
Centered around Scottsdale, it includes many affluent, white and highly educated voters who have moved away from the Republican Party during the Trump era.
The outcome could influence which party controls the House after November.
Democrats Divide Over Galán-Woods
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee endorsed Marlene Galán-Woods, a former television journalist and former Republican.
The decision generated controversy within the party.
Her late husband, Grant Woods, served as Arizona’s Republican attorney general during the 1990s before becoming a prominent Trump critic.
Galán-Woods’ leading opponent is Amish Shah, an emergency physician and former state legislator.
Shah was the Democratic nominee in 2024 and narrowly lost to Schweikert.
Trump Endorses Jay Feeley
Former Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feeley received Trump’s endorsement in the Republican primary for the 1st District.
Feeley has faced criticism because he does not live within the district.
He resides in the district represented by Biggs and initially sought that seat before Trump endorsed another candidate in that contest.
Feeley is running against former state legislator Joseph Chaplik, who has support from many grassroots Republican activists, and businessperson John Trobough.
Tucson Seat Remains Competitive
In the Tucson area, retired Marine drill instructor JoAnna Mendoza is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
She will challenge Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani in November.
Ciscomani, who is serving his second term, also has no primary opponent.
The district is consistently competitive in general elections and remains one of the Democratic Party’s leading pickup opportunities.
Mark Lamb Faces Allegations
The Republican primary for the safely conservative seat being vacated by Biggs has become contentious.
Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who has Trump’s endorsement, faced scrutiny over allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse of power.
The Pinal County attorney cleared him of criminal wrongdoing.
Trump reaffirmed his endorsement in July.
Lamb rejected the allegations as “slander and lies.”
He is competing against Daniel Keenan, the owner of a construction company.
Primary Results Will Shape November
Arizona’s primary results will determine the nominees for several offices with national significance.
The governor’s race could test whether a Trump-aligned candidate or a more traditional conservative is better positioned to defeat Hobbs.
The House primaries will establish the field in districts that could decide the congressional majority.
The secretary of state and attorney general contests will also shape control of offices central to election administration in one of the country’s most closely divided states.
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