Schweikert says uncompromising tactics risk Republican losses in Arizona
PHOENIX — The Tuesday primary between U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs and David Schweikert will decide which Republican will challenge Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in November, a contest that has become a clash of competing visions for the party’s direction in Arizona.
Biggs, who chairs the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has built his political career as a skilled Republican infighter, championing President Donald Trump’s agenda and frustrating establishment leaders in Washington. He is endorsed by Trump and backed by Turning Point Action, a conservative activist group.
Schweikert, a fellow House Republican, says those uncompromising tactics are a losing recipe in Arizona.
“Biggs lives in a district where if he were a turtle running as a Republican, you’re going to win it,” said Kathleen Dunbar, 75, a former Tucson City Council member who plans to vote for Schweikert. “Schweikert lives in a district that’s very much like the state of Arizona, where he has to win the independents. And he’s done it eight times in the last 16 years.”
Biggs’s district is reliably Republican, while Schweikert’s district is more competitive, requiring him to appeal to independents and moderate voters. The differing electoral experiences have shaped the candidates’ strategies: Biggs emphasizes his conservative credentials and Trump alignment, while Schweikert stresses his ability to win in a politically mixed environment.
The race has become a clash of competing visions for reviving the once-dominant Arizona GOP. Hobbs is considered the most vulnerable Democratic governor in the country, according to the AP.