Arizona Republicans have been taking shots at current Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs wherever they reasonably could since she got in office. With Republican majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, they have the luxury of passing bills that they assume she will veto, thus putting together a portfolio of initiatives that help make the case about why they believe she should be replaced.
As for the question of who will replace her, Republican voters got some more clarity as previous gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor-Robson tossed her hat back into the ring and announced that she would run for governor yet again.
As you likely know, this will be Taylor-Robson’s second shot at governor; she took a crack at the seat in 2022 but lost in a relatively tight Republican primary, falling about five percentage points or 40,000 votes to Kari Lake. While it’s impossible to prove hypothetical, many analysts believe that if she had won the primary she would currently be governor, as Katie Hobbs’s victory was at least partially a result of Kari Lake’s unpopularity amongst independents and moderate Republicans.
Taylor-Robson forged a more centrist, mainstream Republican path, with typical conservative stances without the bluster and hyperbole of Lake. It appears as though this showdown of different approaches to politicking will be rehashed for the 2026 primary, as for right now this is now a two-person showdown, as Congressman Andy Biggs is currently the only other real competitor in this race.
Congressman Biggs represents parts of the East Valley and as a member of the House’s Freedom Caucus has forged his career as a staunch conservative in the MAGA wing of the party. While popular amongst conservatives, he will still have work to do in introducing himself to the rest of the state. Taylor-Robson’s previous run for governor may give her a leg up in name identification in the state, but as the person who had less-than-glowing reviews of Kari Lake, some of that name identification may stick around in a negative manner.
But the one real question that looms is, will Donald Trump take a strong stance in this race? He has already demonstrated support for Taylor-Robson, but Biggs has been a staunch Trump ally for years. It is possible that he hedges his bets and offers support for both candidates, as he did in the Congressional primary between Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh in 2024.
One thing is certain, however: the Hobbs team is hoping for an Andy Biggs victory, as the right-wing Biggs offers her her best chance to stay in her seat in 2026.