Arizona Governor Race Is Set: Andy Biggs Will Face Katie Hobbs in November

Trump-backed Republican Andy Biggs easily won his party’s primary, while Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs advanced unopposed. The general election has not been decided, despite viral graphics suggesting otherwise.

PHOENIX — Arizona’s closely watched governor’s race is officially set for November, with Republican Rep. Andy Biggs challenging Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs for control of one of America’s most competitive states.

Biggs won the Republican gubernatorial nomination during Arizona’s July 21 primary, defeating Rep. David Schweikert and two additional Republican candidates by a wide margin.

Hobbs, meanwhile, faced no opponent in the Democratic primary, automatically advancing to the November general election as she seeks a second four-year term as governor.

The viral graphic claiming Arizona elections were “finally called” therefore creates a misleading impression because the statewide governor election between Hobbs and Biggs has not yet taken place.

Arizona’s Secretary of State lists November 3, 2026 as General Election Day, with early voting scheduled to begin October 7 and voter registration closing October 5.

What was called was the Republican primary. The Associated Press projected Biggs as the GOP nominee on election night after he established an overwhelming lead over his Republican rivals.

With roughly three-quarters of the primary vote counted, Roll Call reported Biggs holding approximately 73% support, while Schweikert trailed far behind at roughly 15%.

Official county canvasses subsequently confirmed Biggs’ strong performance. In Pinal County alone, he received 33,760 Republican gubernatorial votes, compared with 4,451 for Schweikert.

President Donald Trump strongly backed Biggs during the primary, issuing what he called his “Complete and Total Endorsement” on July 10 and praising Biggs’ positions on immigration, taxes and elections.

After Biggs won, Trump celebrated the result on Truth Social, describing the Arizona primary as a “BIG NIGHT FOR MAGA” and congratulating his endorsed candidate.

Trump then turned directly toward the general election, attacking Hobbs and urging Republican voters to help Biggs defeat the Democratic incumbent in November.

That reaction directly contradicts the graphic’s suggestion that Trump “can’t believe the results.” His documented public response to the primary was celebratory, not disbelief.

The matchup is politically significant because Arizona has become increasingly competitive after decades of Republican dominance, with statewide contests frequently decided by narrow margins.

Hobbs herself won the governorship in 2022 by less than one percentage point over Republican Kari Lake, underscoring how closely divided the state electorate can be.

Trump later carried Arizona in the 2024 presidential election, while Democrats continued holding several major statewide offices, illustrating the state’s increasingly mixed political landscape.

Biggs enters the race as a longtime Trump ally and former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, with a political record strongly associated with the Republican Party’s conservative wing.

He also voted against certifying Arizona’s 2020 presidential electoral votes and has faced continuing questions about his views regarding previous election results.

When asked in July whether Hobbs legitimately won the 2022 governor’s race, Biggs acknowledged that courts affirmed her victory and that she currently serves as governor, but avoided directly answering the legitimacy question.

Hobbs responded by describing Biggs as an election denier and arguing Arizona elections are fair and secure, positioning election administration as one possible issue in the November campaign.

The candidates also differ substantially on abortion policy. Arizona voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2024 protecting abortion access until fetal viability, while Biggs has historically supported stricter abortion restrictions.

Hobbs has emphasized abortion rights during her tenure, while Republicans controlling the state Legislature have repeatedly pursued policies that generated clashes with the Democratic governor.

Immigration and border security are also likely to feature prominently because Arizona shares an international border with Mexico and both Trump and Biggs have emphasized tougher enforcement policies.

Hobbs, meanwhile, has attempted to portray herself as a pragmatic governor willing to work across party lines while using her veto authority against legislation she considers too conservative.