President Donald Trump’s influence in Republican primaries faced a critical test in Arizona’s gubernatorial nomination, and the outcome affirmed his sway.
Former House Freedom Caucus chair Rep. Andy Biggs secured the Republican nomination for governor with more than 70 % of the vote, based on just under half of the ballots counted on Tuesday night.
Biggs led his closest rival by over 50 percentage points; Rep. David Schweikert trailed with 17 %, while concrete‑pumping contractor Scott Neely earned 7 % and business owner Ken Miceli received 5.4 % of the vote.
In the upcoming general election, Biggs will challenge Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, who was unopposed for the party’s nomination after narrowly defeating former GOP nominee Kari Lake in the previous cycle.
Schweikert’s campaign earlier distributed mailers alleging that Biggs had ties to white‑supremacist and antisemitic groups, a claim the Biggs campaign dismissed as a desperate tactic.
Backed by the political arm of a prominent conservative organization, Biggs largely avoided direct engagement with his opponents, appearing together on stage only at a single debate.
Trump’s endorsements in a handful of pivotal races, including this Arizona contest, are expected to influence the broader midterm battles for control of the House and state governorships.
