JULY 21, 2026
Arizona holds primary elections for governor, Congress, and other offices ahead of competitive fall races
Arizona held primary elections on Tuesday, setting up general election contests in a state that has emerged as a key swing battleground. Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, backed by President Trump and Turning Point Action, was the frontrunner in the GOP gubernatorial primary, while Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs ran unopposed for renomination. Arizona's 1st Congressional District, rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report, featured competitive primaries in both parties.
Arizona is the only state holding primary elections Tuesday, offering an early read on voter sentiment in a state that backed President Trump in 2024 but elected a Democratic governor two years earlier. Republicans narrowly outnumber independents and Democrats in the state's registration rolls, according to NPR.
In the Republican gubernatorial primary, Rep. Andy Biggs—a former House Freedom Caucus chairman and Trump loyalist who voted against certifying the 2020 election results—entered primary day as the frontrunner. He holds endorsements from both Trump and Turning Point Action. Fellow Republican Rep. David Schweikert, concrete pumping contractor Scott Neely, and business owner Ken Miceli also appeared on the ballot. The winner will face Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who narrowly defeated then-GOP nominee Kari Lake in 2022 and has assembled what Fox News described as a formidable campaign war chest, spending roughly $7 million on advertising during the primary despite facing no opposition. "We are running the race we need to win, and it is going to take a lot to get there," Hobbs told reporters Monday.
Arizona's 1st Congressional District—one of only 18 House seats nationally rated a toss-up by Cook Political Report, per NPR—is an open seat after Schweikert opted to run for governor. On the Republican side, former NFL kicker Jay Feely, who carries Trump's endorsement, faced former state lawmaker Joseph Chaplik, described by NPR as running further to the right. On the Democratic side, former state Rep. Amish Shah and former broadcast journalist Marlene Galán-Woods are in a rematch; Shah defeated Galán-Woods in the 2024 primary before losing to Schweikert in the general. Galán-Woods, a former Republican, has secured backing from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as well as Sen. Mark Kelly and former Gov. Janet Napolitano, according to Fox News. The race is among the two to three dozen nationally that could determine control of the House, where Republicans currently hold a narrow majority.