Arizona GOP Picks Biggs For Governor And Kolodin For Secretary Of State
On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Arizona Republicans nominated Rep. Andy Biggs for governor and State Rep. Alexander Kolodin for secretary of state, setting up November matchups with Democrats including Gov. Katie Hobbs.[1]
Biggs overwhelmingly defeated Rep. David Schweikert in the GOP primary.[1] Kolodin, an attorney who joined lawsuits seeking to overturn Arizona's 2020 results, won the secretary of state nomination and was sanctioned by the state bar over those cases.[1] NPR said primary voters again favored candidates backed by former President Trump and that the Cook Political Report shifted the governor's race to a slight Democratic advantage.[2]
Republican voter registration in Arizona has increased since 2022, with GOP rolls up about 6% and Democratic registration down about 4% statewide.[1] Biggs is a vocal Trump ally who voted against accepting Electoral College votes from several battleground states after Jan. 6, 2021.[1] Biggs arrived hours late to his victory party after travel delays, and Schweikert criticized him for a decade of Republican "backsliding." PBS News
Democrats say they will portray Biggs as an extremist, and Gov. Katie Hobbs called him "one big problem they can't afford." PBS News
Show source details & analysis (3 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Republican Rep. Andy Biggs overwhelmingly defeated Rep. David Schweikert in the GOP primary for Arizona governor and will face Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in November.
- State Rep. Alexander Kolodin won the Republican nomination for Arizona secretary of state on July 21, 2026; Kolodin is an attorney who participated in lawsuits challenging Arizona's 2020 presidential results and was sanctioned by the state bar for baseless 2020-election litigation.
- NPR reported that both GOP nominees — Andy Biggs and Alexander Kolodin — have openly opposed or challenged Arizona's certified 2020 presidential results, reflecting a slate of 2020-election skeptics winning key GOP contests.
- After Biggs' nomination, the Cook Political Report shifted the Arizona governor's race from 'toss-up' to a slight Democratic advantage.
- NPR's coverage noted GOP primary voters again favored Trump-endorsed candidates in multiple top contests, underscoring former President Trump's continued influence in Arizona Republican politics.
- PBS reported that Republicans have expanded their voter-registration edge in Arizona since 2022, with GOP registration up about 6% and Democratic registration down about 4% statewide.
- Rep. David Schweikert criticized Biggs as continuing a decade of Republican 'backsliding' and remained in Washington on Election Day as the House passed a funding bill; PBS also reported Biggs had travel delays, arriving more than three hours after networks called his race and addressing a largely empty victory-party room.
- State Senate President Warren Petersen won the Republican nomination for attorney general and will face Democratic AG Kris Mayes in the November general election.
- Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb won the GOP primary in AZ-06 after being cleared of alleged sexual-misconduct claims, and Trump reiterated his endorsement of Lamb.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
July 22, 2026
2:53 PM
Andy Biggs wins Republican nomination to challenge Democrat Katie Hobbs for Arizona governor
New information:
- Article confirms that on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Rep. Andy Biggs "overwhelmingly" defeated Rep. David Schweikert in the Republican primary for Arizona governor and will face Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in November.
- It adds voter-registration context, reporting Republicans have expanded their advantage since 2022 with GOP registration up 6% and Democratic registration down 4% statewide.
- It details intra-GOP criticism from Schweikert, who argued Biggs would continue a decade of Republican "backsliding" and notes Schweikert stayed in Washington on Election Day as the House passed a funding bill.
- It includes Democratic framing for the general election, quoting Hobbs calling Biggs "one big problem they can't afford" and saying Democrats plan to portray him as an extremist focused on helping Trump.
- The story notes Biggs had travel problems returning from a Republican Governors Association meeting in Colorado and arrived more than three hours after networks called his race, addressing a mostly empty victory party room.
- It expands on Biggs's record as a Trump ally, reiterating that he voted against accepting Electoral College votes from multiple battleground states after Jan. 6, 2021, and recounts an earlier near-oust as Arizona Senate president in a clash over Medicaid expansion.
- It confirms that State Rep. Alexander Kolodin won the GOP nomination for secretary of state over former state GOP chair Gina Swoboda and recounts that Kolodin was sanctioned by the state bar for baseless 2020 election lawsuits, including one seeking to overturn Biden's Arizona win.
- It reports that State Senate President Warren Petersen won the Republican nomination for attorney general and will face Democratic AG Kris Mayes, who previously won by 280 votes statewide.
- It provides new detail on AZ-01 primaries: Jay Feely won the Republican nomination over Joseph Chaplik and John Trobough, and the Democratic primary between Amish Shah and Marlene Galan-Woods remained too close to call early Wednesday, with Shah leading despite DCCC backing for Galan-Woods.
- It notes that if Shah's lead holds he would be the third Democrat this cycle to beat a DCCC-backed rival, following contests in California and Maine, and includes quotes from Shah volunteers criticizing party bosses.
- It adds that in AZ-06, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb won the GOP primary for the conservative district Andy Biggs is vacating, after being cleared of criminal wrongdoing in an alleged sexual misconduct case; Trump reiterated his endorsement of Lamb.
- It confirms in AZ-06 that Lamb dismissed the misconduct allegations as "slander and lies," and that the county attorney declined to bring charges.
- It reports that in AZ-06 (Tucson-area competitive seat), Democrat JoAnna Mendoza and Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani both ran unopposed in primaries, setting up another high-profile general-election contest.
8:33 AM
Trump-backed candidates, 2020 election deniers, win Arizona primaries
New information:
- On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Arizona Republicans nominated Alexander Kolodin for secretary of state, the state's top election-administration post.
- Kolodin is an attorney who participated in lawsuits challenging Arizona's 2020 presidential election results.
- NPR's report emphasizes that both GOP nominees for governor (Andy Biggs) and secretary of state (Kolodin) have openly opposed or challenged the certified 2020 presidential results in Arizona.
- The article notes that GOP primary voters again favored Trump-endorsed candidates in multiple top contests, reinforcing his influence in the state.
- Cook Political Report shifted its rating of the Arizona governor's race from 'toss-up' to a slight Democratic advantage after Biggs' nomination.