Andy Biggs vs. Katie Hobbs

His campaign platform calls for eliminating the state income tax, working with local governments to reduce the property tax burden, repealing regulations it says harm job creation, and ending state incentives for data centers while setting standards to protect Arizona water and energy. Sources (2)2 sourcesIssues - Andy Biggs for Governor ↗ (opens in a new tab)Biggs for Arizona · CampaignRepublicans aim to retake Arizona’s executive branch ↗ (opens in a new tab)The Center Square · Oct. 14, 2026 · News

In the Oct. 6 Clean Elections debate, said he would eliminate the income tax incrementally, citing economic growth after the 2017 federal tax cuts as evidence that tax reductions expand the revenue base, and pay for it in part by cutting fraud in Medicaid and through a state Department of Government Efficiency program. In a Sept. 30 Arizona PBS interview, he said he did not believe programs would need to be cut. Sources (3)3 sourcesArizona governor candidates clash over water, taxes, and data centers ↗ (opens in a new tab)FOX 10 Phoenix · Oct. 6, 2026 · NewsCongressman Andy Biggs, Teri Hourihan spar on debate stage in Arizona governor's race ↗ (opens in a new tab)ABC15 Arizona · Oct. 7, 2026 · NewsAZ Votes: Interview with Andy Biggs, Republican candidate for Arizona Governor ↗ (opens in a new tab)Arizona PBS, via PBS · Sept. 30, 2026 · Transcript or video

Vetoed two Republican bills to conform Arizona's tax code to the 2025 federal tax changes, both passed on party lines: SB 1106 on Jan. 16, 2026, estimated to cut taxes by about $441 million in the next fiscal year, and HB 2785 on Feb. 12, 2026. In her SB 1106 veto letter she said it gave tax breaks to special interests while hiking taxes on working seniors, and asked lawmakers to first pass her Middle Class Tax Cuts Package, which included partial conformity. Sources (4)4 sourcesArizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed these bills in 2026 ↗ (opens in a new tab)KJZZ · Feb. 26, 2026 · NewsHobbs vetoes GOP tax plan, contradicts revenue department comments on tax conformity ↗ (opens in a new tab)KJZZ · Jan. 17, 2026 · NewsGovernor Katie Hobbs Joins Leaders Sundareshan and De Los Santos to Introduce Middle Class Tax Cuts Legislation ↗ (opens in a new tab)Office of the Arizona Governor · Jan. 16, 2026 · GovernmentGovernor Katie Hobbs Legislative Action Update ↗ (opens in a new tab)Office of the Arizona Governor · Feb. 12, 2026 · Government

Signed an $18.3 billion budget that includes $1.4 billion in tax cuts conforming the state tax code to the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, among them eliminating state taxes on tips and overtime, a higher standard deduction and a new $6,000 deduction for seniors, plus a three-year moratorium on new data center tax incentives. It left out her proposed nightly fee on short-term rentals and data center water fee. Sources (2)2 sourcesHobbs signs $18.3B bipartisan budget ↗ (opens in a new tab)Arizona Capitol Times · June 13, 2026 · NewsGovernor Katie Hobbs Lays Out Plan to Lower Costs and Put Arizona First in Her Fourth State of the State ↗ (opens in a new tab)Office of the Arizona Governor · Jan. 2026 · Government

Issued an executive order directing state officials to stop enforcing, through the end of 2026, the ban on farmers and ranchers using untaxed red-dyed diesel in the trucks that deliver agricultural products, and allowing heavier agricultural loads on state highways. She said it would lower the cost of doing business for farmers and ranchers and help families with food costs. SourceSourceHobbs allows expanded use of tax-free diesel for agricultural vehicles ↗ (opens in a new tab)Arizona Capitol Times · Oct. 14, 2026 · News

At an Aug. 25 Arizona Police Association forum, said he would reestablish the Border Security Strike Force created under Gov. Doug Ducey, which Hobbs disbanded after taking office in 2023, and appoint a "border czar" to coordinate with local authorities. His platform also calls for state and local participation in the federal 287(g) program. Sources (2)2 sourcesHobbs, Biggs offer contrast on border security in pitch to law enforcement ↗ (opens in a new tab)Cronkite News · Sept. 8, 2026 · NewsIssues - Andy Biggs for Governor ↗ (opens in a new tab)Biggs for Arizona · Campaign

Voted for the Laken Riley Act (S. 5), which requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain certain immigrants in the country without legal permission who are charged with, arrested for, convicted of or admit to burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting or assault of a law enforcement officer, or any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury; it was signed into law Jan. 29, 2025. Sources (3)3 sourcesRoll Call 23: S. 5, Laken Riley Act, On Passage ↗ (opens in a new tab)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Jan. 22, 2025 · Legislative recordS. 5, Laken Riley Act (Engrossed in Senate) ↗ (opens in a new tab)U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo) · Legislative recordAndy Biggs ↗ (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia · Reference

Vetoed Senate Bill 1164, the Arizona ICE Act, which would have barred state agencies and local governments from adopting policies that ban cooperation with federal immigration authorities and required sheriffs and the state prison system to comply with detainer requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Sources (2)2 sourcesGov. Hobbs vetoes Republican-backed Arizona ICE Act ↗ (opens in a new tab)KJZZ · April 19, 2025 · NewsGovernor Katie Hobbs Legislative Action Update ↗ (opens in a new tab)Office of the Arizona Governor · April 18, 2025 · Government

At an Aug. 25, 2026 law enforcement forum, said the Biden administration had failed Arizona on border security when she took office, cited her deployment of the Arizona National Guard to the border (ordered in December 2023), and said that if re-elected she would continue those partnerships and work alongside the Trump administration. Sources (3)3 sourcesHobbs, Biggs offer contrast on border security in pitch to law enforcement ↗ (opens in a new tab)Cronkite News · Sept. 8, 2026 · NewsHobbs, Biggs spar at a public safety forum over his record on Jan. 6 rioters ↗ (opens in a new tab)KJZZ · Aug. 26, 2026 · NewsKatie Hobbs ↗ (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia · Reference

His platform calls for convening the state's water experts to develop a long-term water strategy, fighting for "every drop" of Arizona's allocated Colorado River water, and accurately measuring and reporting on the state's aquifers. SourceSourceIssues - Andy Biggs for Governor ↗ (opens in a new tab)Biggs for Arizona · Campaign

In the Oct. 6 debate, said the problem is water management and that Arizona has "massive and copious amounts of underground water storage," and called for pumping and treating brackish groundwater, more storage such as at Bartlett Dam, water recycling and desalination. In a 12News interview published Oct. 13, he said the state needs a leader who can make its case to the other Colorado River Basin states. Sources (3)3 sourcesCongressman Andy Biggs, Teri Hourihan spar on debate stage in Arizona governor's race ↗ (opens in a new tab)ABC15 Arizona · Oct. 7, 2026 · NewsArizona governor candidates clash over water, taxes, and data centers ↗ (opens in a new tab)FOX 10 Phoenix · Oct. 6, 2026 · NewsArizona Governor’s Race: Andy Biggs weighs in on fuel prices, water and Hobbs’ debate absence ↗ (opens in a new tab)12News (KPNX), via Yahoo News · Oct. 13, 2026 · News

Her administration's Department of Water Resources designated the Willcox Groundwater Basin an Active Management Area in December 2024, the first new AMA since the original five of 1980 apart from the voter-established Douglas AMA. In January 2026 she announced a new AMA in the Ranegras Plain basin of La Paz County. Sources (3)3 sourcesHobbs Administration Takes Historic Action to Protect Rural Groundwater Supplies ↗ (opens in a new tab)Office of the Arizona Governor · Dec. 20, 2024 · GovernmentArizona’s groundwater future hinges on 2026 election ↗ (opens in a new tab)Arizona Capitol Times · Oct. 1, 2026 · NewsGovernor Katie Hobbs Lays Out Plan to Lower Costs and Put Arizona First in Her Fourth State of the State ↗ (opens in a new tab)Office of the Arizona Governor · Jan. 2026 · Government

Quoted by KJZZ in September 2026 as saying she is "not interested in relaxing our state's groundwater protection" and, of desalination, that "we're not anywhere close to having a specific project in the works." On Sept. 3, 2026, told reporters she would like to see the rural groundwater framework recommended by her Water Policy Council implemented. Sources (2)2 sourcesHobbs, Biggs have wildly different water plans. Voters will choose conservation or augmentation ↗ (opens in a new tab)KJZZ · Sept. 8, 2026 · NewsArizona’s groundwater future hinges on 2026 election ↗ (opens in a new tab)Arizona Capitol Times · Oct. 1, 2026 · News

His platform calls for opting into the federal education tax credit, protecting Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, prioritizing reading, writing and math in the K-12 curriculum, and promoting trade skills and certificated training. SourceSourceIssues - Andy Biggs for Governor ↗ (opens in a new tab)Biggs for Arizona · Campaign

Proposed expanding school choice in underserved and rural communities in the Oct. 6 debate, according to his campaign. In a KOLD interview published Oct. 16, he defended ESAs, saying they cost about $7,300 per pupil, and proposed reforming and reviving Proposition 123 and auctioning parts of the state's 8.5 million acres of State Trust Land to fund K-12 education. Sources (2)2 sourcesTucson Now: Andy Biggs’ plan for Arizona’s Governor’s Office ↗ (opens in a new tab)KOLD News 13 · Oct. 16, 2026 · NewsAndy Biggs Shines in Governor’s Debate, Katie Hobbs Shamefully Skips Out on Voters ↗ (opens in a new tab)Biggs for Arizona · Oct. 6, 2026 · Campaign

Called in her January 2026 State of the State address for renewing Prop 123, the education funding measure that draws on the state land trust. The budget she signed in June 2026 did not include it and instead backfilled about $300 million from the general fund; she said she is "not giving up on my commitment to renew Prop. 123." Sources (2)2 sourcesTRANSCRIPT: Governor Hobbs 2026 State of the State Address ↗ (opens in a new tab)Office of the Arizona Governor · Jan. 12, 2026 · Transcript or videoHobbs signs $18.3B bipartisan budget ↗ (opens in a new tab)Arizona Capitol Times · June 13, 2026 · News

In her January 2025 State of the State address, called for stricter income caps, greater accountability and more transparency in the Empowerment Scholarship Account program; in January 2026 she said her plan would leave untouched the program's original mission of helping children with disabilities and in military families. Sources (2)2 sourcesGovernor Katie Hobbs targets school voucher reform and accountability in State of the State Address ↗ (opens in a new tab)AZPM · Jan. 13, 2025 · NewsTRANSCRIPT: Governor Hobbs 2026 State of the State Address ↗ (opens in a new tab)Office of the Arizona Governor · Jan. 12, 2026 · Transcript or video

His platform calls for reducing new-home construction costs by streamlining state-level bureaucracy and working with local governments to lower permitting barriers, ending what it calls Hobbs's "anti-homebuilding policies," and stopping "Wall Street from buying up homes and driving up housing costs." Sources (2)2 sourcesIssues - Andy Biggs for Governor ↗ (opens in a new tab)Biggs for Arizona · CampaignRepublicans aim to retake Arizona’s executive branch ↗ (opens in a new tab)The Center Square · Oct. 14, 2026 · News

In a KOLD interview published Oct. 16, said selling portions of State Trust Land would expand the land available for housing and help lower costs, and called for using tools such as AI to streamline housing permits. SourceSourceTucson Now: Andy Biggs’ plan for Arizona’s Governor’s Office ↗ (opens in a new tab)KOLD News 13 · Oct. 16, 2026 · News

Signed HB 2720, which lets owners of single-family homes in mainly older parts of 15 cities build up to two accessory dwelling units by right, one attached to the main home and one in the backyard, and HB 2721, which requires cities of 75,000 or more to allow duplexes, triplexes and townhomes on single-family lots within a mile of a central business district. SourceSourceHobbs signs laws forcing cities to allow denser housing in cores, backyard casitas ↗ (opens in a new tab)Arizona Daily Star · May 21, 2024 · News

Vetoed the Arizona Starter Homes Act, which would have required cities to allow very small homes and lots and preempted many city zoning laws, calling it "unprecedented legislation that would put Arizonans at the center of a housing reform experiment with unclear outcomes." SourceSourceHobbs signs laws forcing cities to allow denser housing in cores, backyard casitas ↗ (opens in a new tab)Arizona Daily Star · May 21, 2024 · News

Citing a 2023 Department of Water Resources model that showed "unmet demand" for groundwater, Hobbs and the department stopped issuing certificates of assured water supply to housing developers relying solely on groundwater in the Phoenix Active Management Area. In 2026, in a lawsuit by the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona and Republican legislative leaders, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge struck down the rule and a related alternative program; the rulings are not final, and Hobbs and the department said they would explore legal options. SourceSourceArizona’s groundwater future hinges on 2026 election ↗ (opens in a new tab)Arizona Capitol Times · Oct. 1, 2026 · News

Cronkite News reports he has supported legislation to restrict abortion access and to block the use of federal funds by groups that provide abortions. KNAU reported in August 2026 that he is a cosponsor of H.R. 72, which would extend the definition of a human being to include the "preborn." The Arizona Mirror reports that four times since going to Congress, including in 2025, he has co-sponsored federal legislation that it says could effectively ban abortion nationwide. Sources (3)3 sourcesAZ primary pits Trump-backed Biggs and ‘free-market conservative’ Schweikert ↗ (opens in a new tab)Cronkite News · Feb. 19, 2026 · NewsFormer Republican John Giles embraces Democratic positions on Gov. Hobbs' reelection ticket ↗ (opens in a new tab)KNAU · Aug. 18, 2026 · NewsDoctors warn Andy Biggs’ record on healthcare, abortion should alarm Arizona voters ↗ (opens in a new tab)Arizona Mirror, via North Country Now · July 23, 2026 · News

KNAU reported in August 2026 that Biggs, who opposed Proposition 139 (the 2024 constitutional amendment that guarantees a right to abortion until fetal viability), has said since the campaign began that he will respect the will of the voters and not try to have it overturned. The Arizona Capitol Times reports he has described himself as "pro-life"; in June, asked by the Capitol Times whether he would support a repeal effort, his senior campaign adviser did not directly address the question. Sources (3)3 sourcesFormer Republican John Giles embraces Democratic positions on Gov. Hobbs' reelection ticket ↗ (opens in a new tab)KNAU · Aug. 18, 2026 · NewsWill abortion be a defining issue in Arizona’s general election? ↗ (opens in a new tab)Arizona Capitol Times · June 25, 2026 · NewsDoctors warn Andy Biggs’ record on healthcare, abortion should alarm Arizona voters ↗ (opens in a new tab)Arizona Mirror, via North Country Now · July 23, 2026 · News

Signed House Bill 2677, repealing the state's 1864 abortion ban; she had called for the repeal after the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. SourceSourceGovernor Katie Hobbs Signs Bill into Law Officially Repealing 1864 Abortion Ban ↗ (opens in a new tab)Office of the Arizona Governor · May 2, 2024 · Government

Signed a 2023 executive order that, according to her office, prevents county attorneys from prosecuting abortion-related crimes; in April 2024 her office said it covers women and their loved ones, doctors and other health care providers, and anyone helping a woman obtain an abortion. SourceSourceGovernor Katie Hobbs Reiterates Protections for Arizonans Seeking Abortion Care Under Executive Order ↗ (opens in a new tab)Office of the Arizona Governor · April 12, 2024 · Government

His platform calls for equipping state and local law enforcement to combat drug trafficking and lower the state's overdose death rate; focusing on recruitment, training and retention of law enforcement and corrections officers, including a board to review benefits and retirement packages; fully resourcing Department of Public Safety troopers; and fully funding school security programs. SourceSourceIssues - Andy Biggs for Governor ↗ (opens in a new tab)Biggs for Arizona · Campaign

In KJZZ's report on the Aug. 25, 2026 Arizona Police Association forum, said the state will probably have to step in and say "We're not going to have Flock cameras," leaving other matters to local jurisdictions, and said that linking cellphones with license plates through Flock's software is "a gross violation, in my opinion, of a free society." SourceSourceHobbs, Biggs spar at a public safety forum over his record on Jan. 6 rioters ↗ (opens in a new tab)KJZZ · Aug. 26, 2026 · News

At an Aug. 25, 2026 law enforcement forum, said she deployed the Arizona National Guard and provided more than $200 million to local law enforcement, leading to the seizure of over 18 million fentanyl pills; her campaign's August 2026 ad also cites tougher sentences for child predators and sex traffickers. Sources (2)2 sourcesHobbs, Biggs offer contrast on border security in pitch to law enforcement ↗ (opens in a new tab)Cronkite News · Sept. 8, 2026 · NewsKatie Hobbs Releases New TV Ad, “Decisive,” Showcasing Her Fight To Secure Arizona’s Border ↗ (opens in a new tab)Elect Katie Hobbs · Aug. 27, 2026 · Campaign

At the same forum, said she has heard privacy concerns about Flock cameras but that communities should be able to use technology that helps law enforcement, and that she trusts local officials to decide. SourceSourceHobbs, Biggs spar at a public safety forum over his record on Jan. 6 rioters ↗ (opens in a new tab)KJZZ · Aug. 26, 2026 · News

His platform calls for "signing the election integrity legislation vetoed by Katie Hobbs," changing election processes that slow down results, ensuring that only Arizonans who are legally in the United States and eligible to vote participate in elections, and banning foreign contributions to campaigns and ballot initiatives. SourceSourceIssues - Andy Biggs for Governor ↗ (opens in a new tab)Biggs for Arizona · Campaign

On Jan. 6, 2021, voted for the objection to counting Arizona's 2020 electoral votes, which the House rejected 121–303. In April 2025, voted for the SAVE Act (H.R. 22), which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections; it passed the House 220–208. Sources (3)3 sourcesRoll Call 10: Objection to counting Arizona's electoral votes, On Agreeing to the Objection ↗ (opens in a new tab)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Jan. 6, 2021 · Legislative recordRoll Call 102: H.R. 22, SAVE Act, On Passage ↗ (opens in a new tab)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · April 10, 2025 · Legislative recordAndy Biggs ↗ (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia · Reference

Vetoed HB 2703, which would have moved the deadline for dropping off early ballots to the Friday before Election Day (with ID required to turn them in at vote centers on Election Day) and required early mail voters to confirm their addresses before each election cycle in the two largest counties (every other cycle elsewhere). She said she would have accepted the Friday deadline only with other changes such as same-day voter registration, and said, "Making it less convenient to vote is something I have consistently said I cannot support." SourceSourceHobbs keeps promise – vetoes GOP election bill ↗ (opens in a new tab)Arizona Capitol Times · Feb. 18, 2025 · News

As secretary of state, publicly criticized the audit of the 2020 presidential and U.S. Senate results initiated by Republicans in the Arizona Senate, calling it politically motivated and "a significant departure from standard best practices"; a recount within the audit increased Joe Biden's margin by 360 votes. SourceSourceKatie Hobbs ↗ (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia · Reference