On Tuesday, the day after President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president, and amid the celebratory commotion over a “new era,” Rep. Andy Biggs announced he is considering running for governor of Arizona.

“I have been honored to serve Arizona at the state and federal levels and will bring my experience home to my native state to help it fulfill its tremendous capacity,” Biggs, a Republican, wrote on the social media platform X. “I look forward to conversing with my fellow Arizonans as I consider this weighty decision.”

Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs holds the seat until 2026. She hasn’t indicated whether she will run for reelection.

During his time in Congress, Biggs, previously the chair and now a member of the House Freedom Caucus, emerged as one of Trump’s staunchest allies.

While Biggs has been loyal to Trump, the president already promised his full support to someone else in the Arizona gubernatorial race, teeing up a possibly crowded Republican primary for an election scheduled in November 2026.

Biggs is known for his opposition to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and for often taking a hard line on spending bills. He has represented Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, which includes Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek and Apache Junction, since 2016, as the Deseret News previously reported. Before his election to the House, Biggs served in the Arizona Legislature for 14 years.

Biggs graduated from Brigham Young University in 1982, then went on to earn a master’s and Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arizona.

He is one of nine congressmen who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he was part of the Latter-day Saints for Trump coalition that supported the president in the 2024 election.

Who is Trump’s preferred candidate?

Trump, who won Arizona — a “purple” swing state — by more than 5 percentage points in 2024 after losing to former President Joe Biden in 2020, encouraged businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson to jump in the race in 2026 while delivering his victory speech in Phoenix in December.

“Karrin, are you running for governor? I think so, Karrin,” Trump said. “Because if you do, you’re going to have my support.”

Republican Arizona gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson speaks to supporters at a campaign party, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Phoenix. | Matt York

Robson ran for governor in 2022, but lost in the GOP primary against Kari Lake, who has now run and lost races for both governor and Senate.

Should Robson decide to run, she already has the backing of a newly launched PAC, Building A Better Arizona. It’s led by former state Senate President Karen Fann, who ordered an audit of the election results after Trump lost the state in the 2020 presidential election, and Republican Party chairman Robert Graham, who has served as a senior adviser to Trump.

Chuck Coughlin, the CEO of High Ground, a political consulting firm in Arizona, noted that tensions have always existed between the Republican National Committee, which has the war chest, and the state Republican Party, which serves as a vehicle for executing the National GOP’s advocacy and fundraising efforts.

But in the previous three election cycles in the state, Turning Point USA, an advocacy organization run by Charlie Kirk, has begun “taking over the GOP from within,” said Coughlin, who previously served on GOP Gov. Jan Brewer’s transition team in 2009, and was GOP Gov. Fife Symington’s campaign manager.

TPUSA sees Arizona as their backyard, where they have “an opportunity to grow their brand, organization and effectiveness ... and they’re doing a good job,” he added.

But it comes at the cost of a growing number of questions about who is really in charge in the Grand Canyon State. Is it TPUSA’s Charlie Kirk, the man who helped make a pivotal difference in turning out the youth vote for the president in 2024? Or is it the RNC and Trump, who already seems to have a candidate picked out?

Charlie Kirk speaks at AmericaFest, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix. | Rick Scuteri

For now, it’s unclear if TPUSA will back Biggs. Kirk replied to Biggs’ announcement on X, saying, “Andy is a great friend and loved by the base in Arizona.”

Tyler Bowyer, the COO of Turning Point Action, sang Biggs’ praises after the GOP representative announced his news.

“(Biggs') family is incredible. He’s maybe the most intelligent public servant we’ve ever had and he is a COMPLETE and TOTAL conservative,” he wrote on X.

Arizona state Sen. Jake Hoffman, who founded the state’s Freedom Caucus and is also a TPUSA ally, offered Biggs his endorsement. In another post on Monday, Hoffman accused Robson of being a part of “the Arizona Swamp,” saying she is no friend of Trump’s or the MAGA movement.

What challenges does Rep. Andy Biggs face?

This tug of war between the RNC and TPUSA could affect grassroots level candidate recruitment and advocacy, said Coughlin.

Despite earning some support of TPUSA officers and their allies, Biggs will still need to raise a lot of money, something that seems to be in easier reach for Robson.

He could use his connections on the Freedom Caucus to fundraise, but Coughlin said Biggs hasn’t historically been a star fundraiser, mostly because he has never faced a significant primary challenge. He can always build those muscles though, especially now that he’s engaged in what is expected to be a “very expensive gubernatorial primary.”

The final list of candidates isn’t set yet. It’s possible Kirk also jumps into the race. Other potential candidates include Bowyer, Republican Scott Neely, who ran two years ago, and State Treasurer Kimberly Yee, as Arizona Central reported.

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“That’s going to create a competitive primary,” said Coughlin.

The situation reveals the “underlying divisions with the MAGA community outside of Trump,” he said. “Trump’s like a black swan, you know, he is his own creation: a reality TV star and popular political figure who has this extensive following now within the GOP.”

But how does this influence translate outside the freshly-sworn-in president? Coughlin asked. “Does a Trump endorsed candidate have more street value versus somebody like a Biggs, who would be a Freedom Caucus warrior?”

Arizona’s politics revealed an interesting trend in 2024, when Lake lost her bid for Senate, despite being Trump’s choice and a known “conservative fighter,” the political analyst said. It begs the question whether a Freedom Caucus-esque candidate has broad enough appeal to win the general election in the Grand Canyon State.

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