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.
by Staff Reporter | Feb 14, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Karrin Taylor Robson announced the suspension of her gubernatorial campaign on Thursday.
Robson cited concerns about the possible effects of “a divisive Republican primary” as the November 2026 election approaches as her reason for stepping out of the race.
“It only weakens our conservative cause and gives the left exactly what they want: a fractured Republican Party heading into November,” said Robson. “With so much on the line in 2026, I am not willing to contribute to that outcome.”
Robson shared an endorsement from President Donald Trump with another primary opponent, Congressman Andy Biggs, this go around.
Trump handed Robson the endorsement first in December 2024 during Turning Point USA’s annual “AmericaFest” convention in Phoenix. When Biggs announced his run early last year, Trump made an unusual but not altogether unprecedented decision and put up a second endorsement for Biggs: the less moderate Republican and former Freedom Caucus chair.
When he announced his dual endorsement, Trump said he had endorsed Robson because there were no other candidates at the time.
“I like Karrin Taylor Robson of Arizona a lot, and when she asked me to Endorse her, with nobody else running, I Endorsed her, and was happy to do so,” said Trump. “When Andy Biggs decided to run for Governor, quite unexpectedly, I had a problem — Two fantastic candidates, two terrific people, two wonderful champions, and it is therefore my Great Honor TO GIVE MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT TO BOTH. Either one will never let you down. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Trump split his endorsement in the 2024 congressional race between Blake Masters and now-Rep. Abe Hamadeh.
About a month after Trump split his endorsement between Robson and Biggs, three key allies from Trump’s circle split from Robson’s campaign. Two of those individuals served as Robson’s advisors after playing key roles in engineering Trump’s successful 2024 reelection. Sources said the allies left after Robson refused to run campaign ads with Trump’s endorsement immediately; instead, Robson waited until after Biggs got his endorsement to announce.
Robson, a former Arizona Boards of Regents member appointed by former Gov. Doug Ducey, made an unsuccessful primary run against failed Republican candidate Kari Lake in the 2022 gubernatorial election. That year, Lake was the sole Republican gubernatorial candidate to enjoy Trump’s endorsement.
With Robson out of the race, that leaves Biggs, Congressman David Schweikert, and local business owner Scott Neely gunning to win the primary in July.
Republican leaders responded to Robson’s campaign suspension with gratitude for her service to the state. Right-wing political and grassroots leaders also signaled Robson’s suspension as a unifying call to back Biggs in the race. Robson didn’t endorse another candidate.
State Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope (R-LD16) told Robson he would continue to work with her on policy, and further expressed his endorsement of Biggs.
Likewise, Turning Point USA affiliates and leaders issued statements thanking Robson and encouraging voters to get behind Biggs.
A majority of the latest polls predicted Biggs would have double-digit leads in the upcoming primary election over Robson.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Jan 10, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Congressman Andy Biggs is revisiting the promises allegedly broken by Governor Katie Hobbs to kick off the 2026 election fight. Biggs is seeking to unseat Hobbs.
Many of those allegedly broken promises had to do with Hobbs’ claims of bipartisanship. Hobbs promised repeatedly on the campaign trail that she would work with Republicans on certain issues.
One of those promises was that she wouldn’t veto a ban on food taxes.
Hobbs told Arizona PBS that she wouldn’t prioritize partisanship over good policy.
“I’m not going to say no to anything if there’s a way to provide relief for Arizonans,” said Hobbs.
However, within months of taking office Hobbs vetoed a Republican-led bill to ban taxation on food. In her veto letter, Hobbs said the municipalities’ concerns about funding sources without a food tax were reasonable, and that the elimination of the tax wouldn’t take place immediately or eliminate overall costs for residents anyhow.
“From potential cuts to service — including public safety — to increased property taxes, it’s clear that this bill doesn’t actually eliminate costs for our residents. It simply moves those costs around,” wrote Hobbs.
Hobbs also claimed she wouldn’t support a food tax ban because federal welfare recipients, being tax-exempt, wouldn’t feel any of the benefits of a tax elimination.
“[This bill] does nothing for the more than 800,000 Arizonans who use SNAP and WIC benefits for their groceries, as these constituents are already exempt from the tax,” said Hobbs.
Governor Hobbs’ party-line approach to the state’s executive branch as evidenced by the food ban veto has prompted criticisms and friction with the GOP-controlled legislature. The results have devastated many of the priority bills favored by House and Senate Republicans. The governor has repeatedly broken records for the highest number of vetoes in a single legislative session and executive term.
Hobbs vetoed over 180 bills after her first year in office, and again around 180 bills this past year in 2025. Previously, the record high was 181 vetoes — but over the course of six years under former Governor Janet Napolitano, the last Democrat to hold the office before Hobbs.
When Hobbs initiated efforts for her reelection campaign early last year, she again sought to frame herself as a bipartisan agent.
Hobbs launched a border task force that resembled the one launched by her Republican predecessor, Doug Ducey. This move represented a flip from her initial stance scaling back support for federal immigration enforcement, which included the dissolution of Ducey’s border task force.
Hobbs’ team claimed her border team differed from Ducey’s, but the two were virtually the same.
The governor also restored an agency leader picked by Ducey and dumped by her. Hobbs had initially selected the former Arizona Food Bank Network CEO Angie Rodgers for director of the Department of Economic Security. Hobbs changed her mind early last year and reinstalled Ducey’s pick, Michael Wisehart.
Hobbs also selected another Ducey administration veteran, Katie Ptak, for director over the Department of Child Safety.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 9, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Congressman Andy Biggs continues to hold a dominant polling position in Arizona’s 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary, maintaining the same lead he’s had since September when he also polled ahead of Karrin Taylor Robson by 24 points.
The latest poll, conducted October 26–28 among 397 likely GOP primary voters, shows Biggs at 43 percent with Karrin Taylor Robson at 19 percent and David Schweikert at 2 percent. Another 35 percent remain undecided. The mixed-mode survey, which carries a ±4.9 percent margin of error, was conducted by the Phoenix-based research firm GrayHouse Research & Analysis.
Biggs, a five-term congressman representing Arizona’s 5th District and former chair of the House Freedom Caucus, has led every early-cycle measure of the prospective Republican field. His advantage reflects both high name recognition and continued grassroots strength among conservative voters focused on border security, spending restraint, and state sovereignty.
The poll underscores a steady pattern: Biggs’ lead hasn’t wavered despite increased visibility from Robson, who finished second in the 2022 gubernatorial primary, or speculation that Schweikert could consolidate the party’s establishment wing. With one-third of the electorate still uncommitted, the numbers suggest Biggs enters 2026 as the de facto frontrunner. As reported by AZ Free News, Biggs polled at 55% against Robson’s 31%, with 14% of voters undecided in a September poll from Pulse Decision Science. He also polled at 48.6% against Robson’s 26% in a June poll by NextGen Polling, barely edging out “Other” and “Undecided” with a combined 25.5%.
Turning Point USA Chief Operating Officer Tyler Bowyer shared the results in a post to X, remarking “Latest Arizona Poll out on @politico’s website shows @andybiggs4az up 24 points on Karrin Robson. This is consistent with every poll to date. Republicans need to get behind Biggs for Governor and prepare the resources now to win next year.”
In a similar sentiment, Richard Baris of Big Data Poll, Chairman of the National Association of Independent Pollsters and host of ‘Inside the Numbers’ commented, “Yep, Biggs has a significant lead. It’s not particularly close. Would be a waste of money to even challenge him. But nobody ever accused GOP donors of being smart, so…”
GrayHouse’s data, drawn from its statewide voter panel and Arizona voter file, also provided a detailed look at the primary electorate.
In the attorney general primary, Senate President Warren Petersen started at 16% and former Tucson City Council member Rodney Glassman at 8%, with 76% undecided. After biographical information, Petersen rose to 48% and Glassman to 15%, with 37% undecided.
The poll also measured voter sentiment on state direction: 52% said Arizona is on the wrong track, 25% on the right track, and 22% did not know. For re-electing Gov. Katie Hobbs, 43% supported it, 48% preferred someone new, and 9% were undecided. Including Independents and Democrats, the poll surveyed 744 registered voters with a margin of error +/- 3.6%.
Arizona’s top issues ranked were affordability and cost of living at 29%, threats to democracy at 17%, and border security and immigration at 16%, followed by jobs and the economy at 9%, education and healthcare both at 7%, with crime/public safety and water both at 6%. Climate change and the environment came in at 3%, and abortion barely registered at 1%.
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.
