Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 19
Andy Biggs Softens Image Ahead of July 21 Primary as Hobbs Holds 4-Point Edge
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 19

Andy Biggs Softens Image Ahead of July 21 Primary as Hobbs Holds 4-Point Edge

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 19

Summary

  • A 50-point primary lead has left Rep. Andy Biggs free to pivot toward the general election, recasting himself as a policy-focused conservative who can work across the aisle.
  • Biggs is downplaying his role in challenging the 2020 election and instead attacking Gov. Katie Hobbs over 541 vetoes, rising living costs and education, while citing bipartisan work in Congress.
  • That makeover comes as Arizona’s governor race has shifted from toss-up to leans Democratic, with forecasters pointing to Trump’s weaker standing, voter economic pessimism and Biggs’ election-denial baggage.
  • Hobbs has kept a lower profile, rejected calls to abolish ICE, and built a financial edge—spending more than $6 million on ads while framing herself as a pragmatic incumbent.
  • Arizona’s 310,000-voter GOP registration advantage still leaves the race hinging on independents and McCain-style Republicans, the same bloc that helped Hobbs narrowly beat Kari Lake in 2022.

Insights

How might the national economic mood influence the outcome of Arizona's state-level leadership race?
With legal disputes over voting laws ongoing, how will Arizona guarantee a trusted election process this fall?
As Arizona's cost of living rises, what economic solutions could sway undecided voters before November?