Democrat Katie Hobbs Wins Reelection As Arizona Governor Over Andy Biggs
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs has won reelection in Arizona, with CBS News projecting Tuesday night that she defeated Republican Rep. Andy Biggs in a closely watched governor's race that tested the state's political direction two years after it backed Donald Trump by about five points.[1]
The projection came late Tuesday as votes were still being counted, but Hobbs maintained a durable edge over Biggs despite his backing from Trump, who had carried the state in 2024 and campaigned for the congressman.[1] Hobbs' victory gives Democrats another four years in the governor's office in Phoenix and blocks Republicans, who control the Legislature, from installing an ally who has echoed Trump's false claims about the 2020 election.[1]
Hobbs first captured the governorship in 2022 in a razor-thin contest, defeating Republican Kari Lake by about 17,000 votes after serving as Arizona's secretary of state during the tumult over the 2020 presidential results. Since taking office, she has frequently vetoed GOP-backed legislation, positioning herself as a check on the Republican-led Legislature and making this year's race a referendum not only on her performance but also on divided government in a battleground state.
Biggs entered the race with a high profile on the right as a former chair of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus and one of the most prominent members of Congress to challenge the 2020 presidential results, a stance that led the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol to subpoena him. His candidacy extended Arizona Republicans' embrace of Trump-aligned figures who reject or question prior election outcomes, a pattern that energized the GOP base but has now lost in two consecutive governor's races in a state that has swung between the parties in recent cycles.
Trump's decision to campaign for Biggs after his 2024 win in Arizona was an attempt to convert his presidential margin into down-ballot gains and recast the governor's office with an ally who shared his grievances over past elections. Hobbs' reelection despite that push suggests many Arizona voters were more comfortable sticking with an incumbent who has spent two years blocking conservative legislation than elevating one of the Republican Party's most vocal election deniers to lead the state.
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📌 Key Facts
- On November 3, 2026, CBS News projected that Gov. Katie Hobbs won reelection over Republican Rep. Andy Biggs in Arizona's governor's race.
- Trump carried Arizona by roughly five points in the 2024 presidential election and campaigned for Biggs.
- Hobbs narrowly first won the governorship in 2022 by about 17,000 votes over Republican Kari Lake and has frequently vetoed GOP-backed legislation.
- Andy Biggs is a former House Freedom Caucus chair who challenged the 2020 election results and was subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 committee.
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