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.
by Matthew Holloway | Oct 3, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Congressman David Schweikert (R-AZ01) announced his candidacy for Governor of Arizona on Tuesday and will face fellow Republicans Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ05) and Karrin Taylor Robson in the 2026 Primary.
In a statement to The Hill, Schweikert said, “Arizona is at a crossroads that will be decided by the outcome of next year’s race for governor. Arizonans will have the opportunity to decide if our future is one of economic growth and prosperity for all Arizonans, or a future where we become another California.”
“I’ve spent my career fighting for conservative pro-growth policies that strengthen the economy, promote job growth, and protect taxpayers, and that’s exactly what I intend to do as Arizona’s next governor,” he added.
Speaking to James T. Harris on 550 KFYI on Wednesday, Schweikert said, “Washington, D.C., particularly Congress, is unredeemable,” adding, “Congress is unsavable. I think Arizona, though, is savable.”
The congressman’s decision to join the race has generated mixed responses within the Arizona Republican Party and among top conservative figures. Tyler Bowyer and key figures in Turning Point Action and Turning Point USA have thrown their endorsement behind Biggs. Both Biggs and Taylor Robson were endorsed by President Donald Trump in April, but he has not yet commented on Schweikert’s bid as of this report.
Robson campaign advisor Jeff Glassburner said in a statement, “Our campaign welcomes Congressman Schweikert to the campaign trail. He is a career politician with a well-documented history of opposing President Trump, including abandoning his district at a critical time when President Trump and House Republicans relied on his presence to secure re-election and maintain our House majority. This comes after earlier this year, when he ‘slept’ through and didn’t vote for the President’s marquee piece of legislation, the Big Beautiful Bill,” according to the Arizona Daily Independent.
The Biggs campaign reacted by stating, “No matter what the field looks like, polls have been clear: Arizona Republican primary voters are supporting our campaign. We’ll keep working and building on our lead over the coming months.” He also linked to a recent poll that shows Biggs in a commanding lead over both Robson and Schweikert.
Schweikert’s decision to challenge Arizona’s incumbent Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs will require him to vacate his District 1 Congressional seat, rated by Cook Political as an R+1 ‘Toss-up.’ By comparison, the district 5 seat opened by Rep. Andy Biggs’ run for Governor is far more secure at R+10. This state of affairs was commented upon by Arizona State Senator Jake Hoffman, who openly criticized Schweikert for his decision and accused AZGOP Chairwoman Gina Swoboda of influencing him to do so in a post on X on Tuesday.
Hoffman wrote, “Well, this tweet aged well. The AZGOP Chair worked behind the scenes to push Schweikert to run for Governor. Now one of America’s most important House swing districts is in jeopardy. And she’s put the congressional majority for @realDonaldTrump at risk. Very stupid.”
Swoboda denied the accusations, stating officially that she follows the AZGOP bylaws, which prohibit her from endorsing candidates in the primary.
The Arizona Freedom Caucus also criticized the retiring congressman, writing, “David Schweikert is losing his own congressional district to Biggs in the Governor’s race polling TRUE STORY: David was over being in Congress, but his ego, and the ego+bank acct of his consultant, refused to let him just gracefully retire They chose to divide the GOP instead.”
A recent Pulse Decision Science poll showed Biggs as the clear frontrunner in the Arizona Republican gubernatorial primary.
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 | Sep 30, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05) is the clear frontrunner in the Arizona Republican gubernatorial primary, leading businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson by a 24-point margin, according to an exclusive Pulse Decision Science poll.
The survey conducted September 8-10, 2025, among 502 likely Republican primary voters, shows Biggs commanding 55% of the vote compared to Robson’s 31%, with 14% of voters undecided.
The poll highlights Biggs’ strong position as he and Robson look to challenge incumbent Governor Katie Hobbs in the 2026 general election.
If Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-01) were to enter the race, the survey indicates he would place third with just 11% of the vote, while Biggs maintains a 22-point lead over Robson, in a three-way contest, getting 48% to Robson’s 26% and Schweikert’s 11% with 15% undecided.
In a head-to-head matchup, if Robson dropped out of the race, Biggs would still be on top with 61% to Schweikert’s 23%.
“Congressman Andy Biggs enters August as the clear favorite in the GOP Primary Election and stands well-positioned as the strongest candidate to defeat Katie Hobbs in November 2026,” said Drew Sexton, a spokesperson for Biggs. “He’s the only candidate to be endorsed by President Donald J. Trump and Charlie Kirk, the only candidate with an impeccable conservative voting record, and the only candidate with the governing experience at the state and federal level to provide strong leadership for Arizona from Day One.”
Biggs’ campaign is further booming, with Turning Point USA’s PAC investing around $500,000 in his favor, as announced back in June.
Rep. Eli Crane (AZ-02) noted that Biggs can effectively spread conservative messages without creating enemies.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever spent much time with Biggs. But unlike a lot of America First fire-breathers that fire up the crowd, Biggs is kind of a happy warrior,” said Crane. “He’s got friends everywhere, and it’s not to say that there are some people that you know are in opposition to him, but he doesn’t pick personal fights with people. He keeps everything professional.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Page 2 of 10«12345678910»
