Trump Endorses Andy Biggs for Arizona Governor, Blasts 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, 1:59 AM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump endorsed Congressman Andy Biggs for governor of Arizona, casting the Republican as the candidate to unseat incumbent Democrat Katie Hobbs.

Trump framed the contest as a choice on crime and taxes, calling Biggs a future “GREAT Governor” while branding Hobbs among the nation’s worst state executives. The endorsement lands Trump squarely inside one of the most competitive gubernatorial races of the cycle.

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 12 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 500 posts over the last 30 days focused on elections.

The endorsement raises the stakes for both parties in a state Trump has treated as a priority battleground. Biggs stands to benefit from Trump’s grip on the Republican base, while Hobbs faces an attack aimed at her record on public safety and fiscal policy. A defeat would cost Democrats a governorship they narrowly captured, while a Biggs win would hand Republicans full command of a fast-growing Sun Belt state.

Hobbs won the office in 2022 by roughly 17,000 votes, one of the closest gubernatorial results in the country that year. Biggs, a member of the House who has aligned closely with Trump, entered the race as one of several Republicans seeking the nomination. The general election pits the party’s grassroots energy against an incumbent who has governed with divided control at the statehouse.

Arizona ranks among the largest and fastest-expanding states in the West, and its governor oversees a budget that funds schools, roads, and law enforcement for more than 7 million residents. Control of the office shapes decisions on taxation, border policy, and election administration that reach households across the state.

For the average reader, a governor’s race decides who sets state tax rates and how public safety dollars are spent. Trump’s framing of the contest around crime and taxes signals the themes he expects to drive turnout in November.

This has happened before. Trump has repeatedly intervened in Arizona primaries and general elections, backing statewide candidates in 2022 and turning the state into a recurring test of his influence over Republican voters.

Arizona voters will render the next decision at the ballot box on November 3, 2026, when the governor’s race is set to be decided.

Endorsements have shaped Arizona governor’s races before, as this contest shows again. In 2010, Republican Jan Brewer rode a hard-line immigration law to a decisive win, capturing about 55 percent of the vote. In 2014, Doug Ducey won the office with a similar margin and held it for eight years. Each victory reinforced Republican control of the statehouse until Hobbs broke the streak in 2022, a reminder that the office has changed hands only rarely in the modern era.