by Ethan Faverino | Jun 8, 2026 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona House Majority Leader Michael Carbone (R-LD25) has endorsed Congressman Andy Biggs for Governor, praising his proven ability to unite lawmakers and advance conservative priorities through collaboration with the Legislature.
Carbone, who represents Maricopa County’s West Valley, becomes the 44th current or former state legislator to publicly back Biggs and the first member of State House leadership to do so.
“We need conservative leadership ready to work with the Legislature and advance policies that bring down the cost of living on Arizonans so our state can prosper,” stated Carbone. “Andy Biggs is the best choice to do that from day one as Governor. He understands the legislative process at the Capitol and knows what it takes to make our state thrive. He’ll be a great advocate for the West Valley and for all of Arizona as Governor.”
Carbone also joins the growing list of West Valley elected officials supporting Biggs, including U.S. Congressman Abe Hamadeh, Maricopa County Supervisor Debbie Lesko, Arizona State Senator Janae Shamp, and Arizona State Representatives Nick Kupper, Lisa Fink, Michele Peña, David Livingston, and Beverly Pingerelli.
“Majority Leader Carbone has been a champion for thoughtful conservative policies, like expanding our nuclear capabilities to bring utility costs down and supporting pro-growth policies for our Arizona small businesses,” said Congressman Biggs. “Our campaign is focused on building out our support amongst Republican leaders and voters with a positive vision that brings our party together. With less than three weeks until ballots go out for the Republican primary election, we are well prepared for a victory on July 21st before defeating Katie Hobbs in November.”
Biggs has consistently maintained a commanding lead in the Republican primary field, according to multiple independent polls conducted since September 2025. A survey by NextGen Polling found Biggs ahead by 42%, while Emerson College showed him leading by 33%. GrayHouse reported a 24% advantage and Pulse Decision likewise found Biggs leading by 24%.
The most recent poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, lists Biggs leading the Republican primary field by 30%. The study, conducted May 5-7, 2026, among 996 registered voters in Arizona including 375 registers Republicans, shows Biggs rising to 48% — up from 40% in February.
Biggs leads across key GOP demographics, including:
- Men: 50% Biggs – 21% Schweikert
- Women: 46% – 15%
- Voters Aged 65+: 57% – 17%
- Conservatives: 52% – 16%
- Trump Supporters: 55% – 16%
- Hispanic Republicans: 57% – 9%
Biggs is the only candidate in the Arizona Republican gubernatorial primary endorsed by both President Trump and the late Charlie Kirk. Additional high-profile support includes endorsements from Turning Point CEO Erika Kirk, Arizona Congressmen Eli Crane, Paul Gosar, Abe Hamadeh, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and Maricopa County Supervisors Debbie Lesko and Mark Stewart.
Biggs has also secured backing from influential conservative organizations including Turning Point Action, Moms for America Action, and Gun Owners of America-Arizona Chapter. Law enforcement support includes former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller, the Arizona Law Enforcement Association, and the Arizona Council of Prisons Locals.
Rep. Biggs leads all Republican gubernatorial candidates in fundraising, with $2.7 million raised and $1.1 million cash on hand, an advantage of more than 10:1 over his closest primary competitor. He has set multiple personal funding records throughout the 2026 cycle.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | May 10, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Republican gubernatorial candidate Andy Biggs released a new campaign video this week titled “A Freer, Safer, More Prosperous Arizona.” The video outlines his vision for the state as the 2026 gubernatorial race continues to take shape.
In the video, Biggs calls for what he describes as a “freer, safer, more prosperous Arizona,” while emphasizing issues including border security, public safety, tax policy, education, and election administration. The video also criticizes policies advanced under Gov. Katie Hobbs and argues Arizona should pursue a more conservative governing approach.
“We have always been rugged individualists. But under this Governor, we’re not leading the way except to go the way of California. We’re following California, for Pete’s sakes. So, for me, when I look at it and say, ‘Why am I running for Governor?’ I know that this state needs a leader that understands the tremendous potential it has and can unleash it using the processes we have in the Legislature and the authority that the Governor has.”
Biggs currently represents Arizona’s Fifth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and previously served as president of the Arizona Senate.
The release comes as the Republican gubernatorial primary field continues to develop ahead of the 2026 election. Biggs announced his gubernatorial campaign earlier this year and has emerged as one of the highest-profile Republicans in the race.
Biggs has centered much of his campaign messaging on border enforcement, tax reductions, school choice expansion, and election reforms. During a recent Turning Point Action rally in Phoenix, Biggs said he would seek to eliminate Arizona’s income tax, create what he described as a stronger state border security operation, and sign election-related legislation previously vetoed by Hobbs.
At that event, Biggs also described his goal as making Arizona “the most free, most prosperous, safest state in the union.”
The campaign has also emphasized Biggs’ relationship with President Donald Trump and his alignment with the broader “America First” movement. Trump endorsed Biggs earlier this year in the Republican gubernatorial primary.
Polling from Noble Predictive Insights released in March showed Biggs leading the Republican primary field by 21 points while trailing incumbent Gov. Katie Hobbs by five points in a hypothetical general election matchup.
The new video release is the latest in a series of campaign efforts by the Biggs campaign to frame the 2026 race around border security, economic policy, and opposition to the Hobbs administration’s agenda.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 18, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Maricopa County Superior Court has ruled that the leading independent gubernatorial candidate does qualify for the ballot.
Hugh Lytle, an independent under the No Labels Party, announced his victory on Wednesday. Lytle is a Scottsdale businessman: founder and managing partner of El Toro Ventures, founder and board member of Equality Health, co-founder and former CEO of Univita Health, and co-founder and former president of Axia Health.
“These legal tricks to find technicalities to keep an independent off the ballot is exactly why so many people have lost faith in our system,” said Lytle. “When someone even suggests putting people ahead of parties and special interests, the system tries to shut it down. But this time, it didn’t work.”
In a statement given to the media, Lytle claimed the legal challenge against him was rooted in Gov. Katie Hobbs feeling threatened by his candidacy. Lytle has claimed Hobbs was behind the lawsuit because her former chief legal advisor, Sambo “Bo” Dul, was one of the attorneys representing the case against him.
“The judge’s decision is not a personal win for me. It’s a win for the voters, for democracy and for Arizona’s growing Independent movement which gains momentum every day,” said Lytle. “Perhaps that’s why Gov. Hobbs is afraid to face me in an election.”
At contest was the validity of Lytle’s petition sheets, which used a UPS store address located in one district rather than his residential address located in a separate district. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael Mandell ruled that district locations didn’t matter for statewide races.
“Mr. Lytle is running for statewide office, not district, precinct, or municipal office. Both the UPS store address and his physical address are in Scottsdale,” stated Mandell. “There is no dispute that Mr. Lytle has been an Arizona resident for many years, that he resides in Maricopa County, and that he satisfies the constitutional and statutory residency requirements for Governor.”
Lytle faced multiple challenges to his candidacy, one from his primary opponent Teri Ann Hourihan, and another from a former Democratic Party legislative district leader, Craig Beckman.
Lytle pledged to not take any salary as governor. He announced his intent to donate his entire first-year salary as governor to Teen Lifeline, and then the remaining years to other charities.
The No Labels Party attempted to brand itself as the Arizona Independent Party with the help of Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, but the Maricopa County Superior Court ruled against the move as an unlawful “political bait and switch” last month.
There were 21 candidates who filed statements of interest under the No Labels Party, including three for governor (Lytle, Hourihanm and Alan White).
Lytle’s platform includes establishing a mentor corps for youth entrepreneurs, expanding state charity donation benefits, expanding tax deductibility and charity benefits to cover youth sports, increasing teacher pay, limiting school choice by income, and reducing Medicaid costs.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 16, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) announced he has raised nearly $3 million to date, and has over $1 million cash on hand.
Following the aggregate donations of multiple contributors, the biggest donations to Biggs’ campaign came from Biggs’ federal campaign, Biggs2016, amounting to $50,000, and the Freedom Club PAC which gave over $16,000.
Arizona campaign funding data reports fellow Republican congressman and gubernatorial candidate David Schweikert as having raised nearly $900,000, and having nearly $300,000 cash on hand.
Schweikert’s top donors came from Schweikert’s own coffers. $572,00 came from Schweikert’s federal campaign committee, Friends of David Schweikert. $115,000 came from Schweikert himself.
Even combined, the pair doesn’t come close to the amount in the Democratic governor’s campaign coffers.
Incumbent Gov. Katie Hobbs has raised over $5.7 million since last year, and has over $6 million in cash on hand.
Unlike Biggs and Schweikert, Hobbs had multiple large donors outside of multiple contributor aggregates, mainly unions: Unite Here Tip Campaign Committee ($11,000), United Food and Commercial Workers Union of Arizona Local 99 ($11,000), AFSCME People ($11,000), Arizona Education Association ($11,000), and Hollywood star Jennifer Garner ($10,000).
Hobbs also received nearly $250,000 in non-contribution income from Copper State Values, a political action committee established and chaired by Hobbs’ campaign manager, Nicole Demont.
Demont established the PAC in December 2024, and teamed up with leading dark money handler Dacey Montoya (“The Money Wheel”), who serves as the PAC’s treasurer. Funds from the PAC began benefitting Hobbs’ campaign last June.
Other than a few contributions to outside organizations, it appears Copper State Values functions as a funding arm for the Hobbs campaign.
Copper State Values has made payments to a number of companies which Hobbs has paid for services, including $150,000 to the California-based Capital Strategies, which has Hobbs listed under its clientele; nearly $7,000 to Pingdex for calls; and $40,000 to Monteverde Strategies.
The non-contribution income covered shared expenses between the Hobbs campaign and the PAC: acquisition, office supplies, insurance, professional services, rent, finance consulting, payroll, postage, mailers, utilities, fuel, food and beverage, fundraising event, travel, and health insurance.
Multiple donations came from the health sector: Centene Management Company, the Missouri-based largest Medicaid managed care organization in the nation; PhRMA, the D.C.-based biopharmaceutical trade association; 7WireVentures, an Illinois-based backer of digital health companies; Paradise Valley healthcare executive Reginald Ballantyne; Scottsdale-based Priority Ambulance; Ohio-based Elevance Health; UnitedHealth Group; CVS Health.
Others donations coming from special interests included Google, NextEra Energy Resources, a Florida-based wholesale electricity supplier; DraftKings, the Massachusetts-based online sports gambling giant; Sports Betting Alliance; DoorDash, the food delivery service giant; Casey Wasserman, with the major California talent agency Wasserman; Green Valley-based cell tower and telecommunications attorney John Pestle; California-based solar developer Mark Boyadjian for Arevia Power; Tempe-based Carvana; and California-based clean energy developer Clearway Renew Consolidated Devco.
Multiple donations to the PAC came from the real estate sector: California-based Klein Financial Corporation; Verde Investments, a Tempe-based real estate firm; James Edward Pederson, a Phoenix-based founder of the Pederson Group; Mark Breen, and Scottsdale-based president of Atlantic Development & Investments.
Other sizable donations came from the Arizona Beverage Association; Marcia Grand, Tucson retiree and wife to late trial attorney Richard Grand; the Salt River Pinta-Maricopa Indian Community; Arizona Democratic Party; Democratic Governors Association; D.C.-based Laborers International Union of North America; and Illinois-based racial justice group Communities United.
Karrin Taylor Robson, who suspended her campaign earlier this year, accumulated over $4.7 million for her gubernatorial run. Over $2.2 million of that came from her own pockets. Her cash balance sat at $1.1 million.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Mar 5, 2026 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Biggs for Arizona campaign has announced that it has filed more than 20,000 ballot nomination signatures with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office—nearly three times the minimum required for Republican candidates. The strong showing should ensure Congressman Andy Biggs will qualify for the July 2026 Republican primary ballot for governor.
The filing marks the highest number of nomination signatures submitted by any candidate for any office in 2026 to date, underscoring the campaign’s strong grassroots momentum.
Rep. Biggs has emerged as the only current Republican candidate leading in polls for the GOP primary, consistently holding double-digit advantages over his opponents in third-party surveys conducted since September 2025. Polls from GrayHouse, Emerson College, and Pulse Decision show him ahead by 41, 42, and 28 points, respectively—all with three Republican candidates in the field—and he has not trailed any current primary opponent in any published poll.
“Cindy and I are incredibly grateful for every volunteer and supporter who stepped up to help us collect over 20,000 signatures in support of our campaign,” stated Congressman Andy Biggs, announcing his 20K ballot qualification signatures. “It’s a testament to the grassroots nature of our campaign that we hit this monumental number without the need for paid canvassers or digital advertising for signatures. Arizonans are tired of the weak and ineffective Katie Hobbs and are ready for a leader to restore the American Dream in our state. We’ve got a lot of work to do as a campaign, but we’re very excited to hit this first major milestone.”
Rep. Biggs stands as the only candidate in the Arizona Republican gubernatorial primary endorsed by both President Trump and the late Charlie Kirk. He has also secured endorsements from Turning Point CEO Erika Kirk, Arizona Congressmen Eli Crane (R-AZ02) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ09), Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Debbie Lesko and Mark Stewart, as well as 33 current and former state legislators.
Financially, Rep. Biggs has demonstrated consistent momentum throughout 2025, setting multiple personal fundraising records in Q2, Q3, and Q4. He leads all Republican gubernatorial candidates in the cycle with $1.9 million raised and $782,000 cash on hand.
Congressman Eli Crane praised the effort, saying, “From the first day of the campaign, Congressman Biggs and his supporters have done a great job of taking their message of Restoring the American Dream to voters across Arizona. The rural Arizonans I represent are supporting Congressman Biggs because he’s a man of principle that will get things done for our state without compromising his conservative values. He’s the best choice to defeat Katie Hobbs in November, and I urge all Republicans to unite behind his campaign now.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
