by Matthew Holloway | Jan 22, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
In the aftermath of historic flooding across Gila County in September 2025, Arizona communities are still wrestling with the long road toward recovery, and the federal government’s initial refusal to provide disaster relief has only added to the frustration.
On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ02) took action, sending a letter to President Donald Trump and FEMA Region IX Administrator Robert Fenton uring them to intervene in Arizona’s appeal of FEMA’s denial of a Major Disaster Declaration. He was joined by Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ05), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06), and David Schweikert (R-AZ01).
The disaster declaration, would unlock vital federal funds and resources under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to help communities like Globe, Miami, and other rural areas rebuild infrastructure, support residents, and mitigate future flood risks.
The appeal follows FEMA’s December 20, 2025, denial, a decision that came despite the state and local officials’ reassessment estimating damages well above $100 million.
“The new figures reflect substantial and unanticipated financial burdens placed on local jurisdictions, which were required to undertake immediate emergency protective measures, restore essential services, and address damage to roads, utilities, and public facilities,” Crane wrote in the letter.
He added, “When viewed in the aggregate, these impacts demonstrate a level of strain that exceeds the reasonable capacity of affected communities to manage without federal support.” Crane has engaged directly with FEMA officials in Washington, D.C., and invited them to visit Gila County to see conditions firsthand.
“With this more accurate assessment,” Crane said, “FEMA will now have a better sense of the damage to these storied communities. While many democrat elected officials were quick to point fingers and score cheap points, we worked behind the scenes to strengthen our efforts and believe the State of Arizona’s updated figures present a far stronger case for federal assistance. We applaud President Trump’s ongoing commitment to Arizona and look forward to continuing our work with his team at FEMA as they consider this appeal, which would deliver much-needed assistance to residents in rural Arizona.”
The original denial has drawn bipartisan criticism, including from Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs, who argued the decision left families and local governments to shoulder rebuilding without critical federal support.
As federal officials weigh the appeal, residents and local leaders in Gila County continue working to recover from floods that overwhelmed watersheds, washed out infrastructure, and left lasting damage to homes and businesses.
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 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.
by Matthew Holloway | Oct 21, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Gina Swoboda is looking to fill the vacuum that will be left by Rep. David Schweikert in the state’s First Congressional District after the congressman entered the 2026 gubernatorial race. Swoboda’s announcement included an endorsement from President Trump, though that endorsement has not been confirmed by the President’s Truth Social as of filing.
Swoboda dropped the news on X with a statement touting her credentials as a mother of two, magna cum laude ASU grad, and national election integrity advisor. She stressed in her statement that her campaign will be centered around “commonsense conservative principles of economic growth and prosperity, strong and secure borders, and protecting taxpayers.”
Axios Phoenix called her entry the “first major GOP candidate” in a race that could test the power of President Trump’s endorsement in loosely held suburbs. Speaking to Axios, Swoboda said she is the “most viable candidate for the district” and emphasized a commitment to “low regulation, low taxes and equality of opportunity.”
Schweikert’s decision to engage in a gubernatorial run has left the northeast Valley district a ‘Toss-Up’ according to the Cook Political Report. Arizona’s First Congressional District, spanning Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills and parts of Phoenix, is a GOP-leaning but swing-prone suburban district classed as an R+1 toss-up despite the Schweikert’s 3.8 point victory in 2024 over Democrat Amish Shah.
Merissa Hamilton, founder and chairwoman of Strong Communities Action/EZAZ.org, has launched an effort to request Swoboda’s resignation as AZGOP chair following her announcement, according to a post to X on Monday. Hamilton stated, “She (Swoboda) pledged to God on @GarretLewis’ radio show she wouldn’t run for office while serving as Chair. She needs to resign, and the body needs to hold a new election.”
Axios Phoenix reported that Swoboda said she will not vacate the AZGOP Chair until January to allow the state committee to elect a successor and added that she’s establishing a “firewall” for fundraising activities, to separate her campaign from the party treasury. Swoboda has, however, resigned from her role as policy adviser for the Arizona House Committee on Federalism, Military Affairs and Elections.
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 Ethan Faverino | Oct 17, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Biggs for Arizona campaign announced a strong Q3 fundraising haul of $564,075, marking the strongest quarterly total of the campaign cycle to date. This significant increase from the previous quarter brings the campaign’s 2025 fundraising total to over $1.2 million.
With more than 4,000 new donors added in Q3, the campaign ended September with $630,187 cash on hand, demonstrating strong financial momentum heading into the critical stages of the 2026 Arizona gubernatorial race.
“As I continue to travel across Arizona and share my vision of freedom for our state, more and more voters are coming on board to show their support,” said Rep. Andy Biggs. “It’s clear we deserve better than the weak leadership and petty vetoes Katie Hobbs has built her office around, but it will take someone with the relationships and experience at the State Capitol and beyond to lead our state from Day One. Our campaign is making this case to voters every single day, and the results show we are on the right track. There’s no doubt we will be well-equipped to defeat Katie Hobbs in November 2026.”
Representative Andy Biggs (AZ-05) has garnered endorsements from key conservative figures, including President Trump, the late Charlie Kirk, and Turning Point CEO Erika Kirk. Congressmen Eli Crane and Paul Gosar, as well as Maricopa County Supervisors Debbie Lesko and Mark Stewart, also support his campaign. Recent polls show that Rep. Biggs is leading the Republican gubernatorial primary with a commanding 22-point advantage over Karrin Taylor Robson and a 37-point lead over Rep. David Schweikert. This substantial lead shows Biggs’ strong support among Arizona voters and his position as the frontrunner in the race.
Arizona State Representative Leo Biasiucci echoes this sentiment, saying, “Whether it’s at Republican events across Arizona or at the State Capitol, I’m hearing the same thing: Arizonans are ready for Andy Biggs as our next Governor. This strong quarter shows Andy is putting in the work and exceeding expectations on the fundraising front, which will only boost the momentum he has with grassroots conservatives across the state.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Oct 7, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Six Arizona GOP House members—Reps. Andy Biggs, Juan Ciscomani, Eli Crane, Paul Gosar, Abe Hamadeh, and David Schweikert—urged Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego in a letter to “do the right thing” by backing H.R. 5371, a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government.
In the letter, the congressmen told Sens. Kelly and Gallego, “Every single one of us voted for this seven-week, clean continuing resolution when it passed the U.S. House of Representatives on September 19th. This same kind of resolution, with no partisan extraneous policy riders, has garnered bipartisan support routinely in the past.” They also stated that the funding levels called for are precisely those that both Kelly and Gallego have supported in the past.
The congressmen explained, “Our goal in passing this bill was quite simple: keep the government open and functioning for all those who depend on it for a paycheck, and the critical services that our federal government provides. Our state is home to ten military installations, over 34,000 federal civilian employees, approximately 20,000 active-duty service members, over 450,000 veterans, and countless additional federal entities.
“Senate Democrats, yourselves included, are making unrelated policy demands that have nothing to do with government funding. It is far past time to stop holding Arizonans hostage and to put the American people first. Our constituents demand that you stop playing political games with their livelihoods.”
Ciscomani wrote via X, “Arizona’s House Republicans are united — and we’re calling on Arizona’s Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego to stop playing politics and prioritize Arizonans.”
In a statement on Monday, Rep. Crane added, “Last month, the House of Representatives passed a funding extension to prevent a government shutdown. Unfortunately, Senators Kelly and Gallego have repeatedly voted against this approach. A prolonged shutdown harms Arizonans, with many federal employees furloughed or working without pay. I urge our senators to back this sensible measure and help end the government shutdown.”
Hamadeh’s office also offered a statement in support via X writing, “Congressman Hamadeh is proud to stand with his Arizona Congressional Republican colleagues in demanding that Kelly and Gallego start putting Arizonans’ interests over Chuck Schumer’s.”
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.
