Trump Endorses Andy Biggs for Arizona Governor, Blasts Katie Hobbs

Trump backs Congressman Andy Biggs in the Arizona governor's race and attacks incumbent Katie Hobbs on crime and taxes.

First Published: July 22, 2026, 2:00 AM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump endorsed Congressman Andy Biggs for governor of Arizona, casting the Republican as the party’s standard-bearer against Democratic incumbent Katie Hobbs.

Trump praised Biggs, a Republican who has represented Arizona’s Fifth Congressional District, as a candidate who would be a “GREAT Governor.” He framed the general election as a choice between Biggs and Hobbs, whom he attacked on crime and tax policy.

Here is the full post on Truth Social: “Congratulations to Congressman Andy Biggs, who will be a GREAT Governor. Must now defeat a Radical Left Dumocrat, one of the worst governors in the Country, Katie Hobbs, who is weak on Crime, but strong on Raising Taxes. Go Andy, Go!!! President DJT” on July 22, 2026 at 5:47 AM ET.

This is the first message released by Trump today. On average, Trump produces about 16 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.

The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 101 of his 478 posts over the last 30 days focused on elections.

Biggs served in the U.S. House and previously led the Arizona State Senate before his time in Washington, according to house.gov. His campaign pits him against Hobbs, who won the office in 2022 by defeating Republican Kari Lake in one of the country’s closest statewide contests.

The stakes reach beyond Arizona. A Republican victory would hand the party control of a battleground governorship in a state that has swung between the parties in recent federal elections. Hobbs, seeking a second term, has cast herself as a check on the Republican-led legislature, while Biggs has aligned himself closely with Trump’s agenda on immigration and border security.

For Arizona voters, the outcome would shape state policy on taxes, public safety and election administration. The governor signs the state budget, appoints agency heads and holds veto power over legislation, giving the office direct influence over the daily cost of government and law enforcement priorities across the state.

This is not the first time Trump has intervened in an Arizona statewide race. In 2022, he backed Lake for governor and a slate of allied candidates, most of whom lost their general-election contests that November. Hobbs won that race by fewer than 20,000 votes out of more than 2.5 million cast, according to newsfromthestates.com.

The next decision rests with Arizona voters, who settle the general election on November 3, 2026. Before then, Biggs must secure the Republican nomination in the state’s primary, and no formal debate schedule between the two candidates has been announced.

Arizona’s governorship has long been a proving ground for national ambitions and abrupt reversals. In 1988, lawmakers impeached Governor Evan Mecham and removed him from office after barely a year, the first Arizona governor forced out that way. In 1997, Governor Fife Symington resigned following a federal conviction that an appeals court later overturned. Each departure reshaped the state’s politics and left successors to inherit a divided capitol, a reminder that Arizona’s top office has rewarded few of those who assumed victory came easily.