Biggs Joins Race for Governor

SBINSIDER NEWS\OPINION| January 26th, 2025
Congressman Andy Biggs, from the 5th Congressional District of Arizona, announced this week that he was joining the primary race for Governor. Biggs, has been in elective office since 2003, serving in the Arizona House and then the Senate. He was elected to Congress after barely squeaking by Christine Jones by 27 votes in the 2016 primary. He has been the Chairman of the Freedom Caucus in the US House since 2019.
Biggs, apparently sees an opening in the Governor’s race for a candidate more aligned with the conservative GOP primary voter. Karrin Taylor Robson is considered to be a centrist, and is supported by the Ducey\McCain wing of the party.
In a flash poll by Data Orbital a right-leaning consulting organization, soon after he announced, revealed these results:
In a statement, Data Orbital President George Khalaf said, “Congressman Andy Biggs has a commanding lead over potential opponents Karrin Taylor Robson and Treasurer Kimberly Yee, bolstered by his extensive history of earned media and established public leadership. His support is particularly robust among self-identified strong conservatives, capturing 45% of this key demographic.
Biggs has a big lead in name identification from his time in elective office and is well known by the base. He is a Latter-Day-Saint and completed a mission in Japan, becoming fluent in the native language. KTR (Robson) is best know in Maricopa having served an several prominent boards and most notably the Arizona Board of Regents. Biggs scored nearly 32% to KTR’s 12.4% but the important number is the 45% of undecided voters. This means that the candidate who starts messaging now should have an advantage. KTR has the personal funds to mount an large campaign. Biggs, serendipitously got into office by winning $10 million in the American Family Publishers sweepstakes in 1993.
At the GOP State Convention this past Saturday, Biggs got a rousing reception from the delegates. KTR did not speak.
It is rumored that the Arizona Freedom Caucus, lead by State Senator Pinal’s Jake Hoffman, (LD-15) was the driving force to get Biggs into the race. In the last several cycles, the right-wing candidates have not fared well in the general election, beginning with an insipid Martha McSally who lost to Kirsten Sinema and then Kari Lake losing to first Katie Hobbs and then Rueben Gallegos. Abe Hamdeh lost to Kirsten Mayes in the Attorney General race making the only winners of late to be Tom Horne and Michell Lee.
The Governor’s primary race is a long way off but it is now KTR who has to start making overtures to the right-wing base if she intends to make a serious race.
State Chair Races
Despite winning the important US Senate seat, the Democrats were hugely disappointed in losing more seats to the GOP in the state legislature, effectively strangling any Hobbs initiatives for the remaining two years of her term. So, they choose Robert Branscomb as their new leader.
Republicans, the take no prisoners party, managed to keep Gina Swoboda in her job, despite the strong efforts of the Arizona Freedom Caucus who supported former state Representative Cory McGarr. This a small setback for Biggs and his supporters in that having the state chair dependent on one of the candidates is a plus.