U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, is framing his campaign for governor around economic affordability, water management and border security, drawing a sharp contrast with the Democratic incumbent, Gov. Katie Hobbs.
In an interview with “The States,” The Center Square’s daily podcast, Biggs criticized the Hobbs administration’s fiscal and regulatory track record, arguing that Arizona has slipped under the governor’s leadership.
“Under Katie Hobbs, we’ve gone from being one of the most affordable states to one of the least affordable states,” Biggs said, pointing to state rankings in educational attainment.
Biggs told Greg Bishop, host of “The States,” that Arizona needs a change in executive leadership to reverse course.
The Center Square reached out to Hobbs and her campaign for comment, but did not get a response by publication time. The Center Square also invited Hobbs to appear on “The States” and is waiting for a response.
During the interview on “The States,” Biggs acknowledged Arizona’s competitive overall tax rankings by organizations such as the Tax Foundation but argued that the state should follow national trends toward eliminating the state income tax.
Meanwhile, water management has emerged as a central flashpoint in the gubernatorial contest.
Biggs criticized Hobbs’ handling of negotiations regarding the state’s Colorado River water allotment, contending that the administration relies too heavily on conservation alone rather than seeking out new augmentation strategies. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation created a plan that requires Arizona, California and Nevada to make cuts, but no cuts are required of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming.
“We have tremendous stores of underground water that we’ve been saving for decades,” said Biggs, adding that the state must look at extraction, cleaning and distribution infrastructure to support future growth.
In terms of immigration and crime, Hobbs has defended her administration’s approach to public safety and law enforcement partnerships. For example, Hobbs released a TV ad in late August to highlight “her record on delivering on border security, supporting law enforcement, and investing in public safety to protect Arizona families and communities.”
Biggs is not buying.
“She’s an open borders advocate,” Biggs said, pointing to the repeal of previous border barrier initiatives and the defunding of the state’s border security strike force. The Republican gubernatorial candidate advocated for close cooperation with federal immigration authorities to ensure public safety.
On the legislative front, Biggs criticized Hobbs’ use of the veto pen – noting a high volume of vetoed bills during her term – while pointing to his own legislative background as evidence of an ability to build bipartisan consensus on key issues like water and rural health care funding. Republicans control a majority in both houses of Arizona’s Legislature, but lack enough seats to override the Democratic governor’s vetoes.
Biggs, a retired attorney who served in the Arizona House and the Arizona Senate prior to being elected a U.S. representative for the state’s 5th Congressional District in 2016, also voiced firm support for preserving Arizona’s right-to-work status.
A right-to-work state is one in which an employee of a unionized operation does not have to pay dues or fees as a condition of employment. While unions can and do exist in Arizona and other right-to work states, people working for those unionized businesses do not have to be members of the union. Nevada and Utah are right-to-work states. California, Colorado and New Mexico are forced unionism states or non-right-to-work states.
Hobbs has framed the election as a choice between stable leadership centered on putting Arizona first and what it characterizes as Washington-style division. Biggs countered that the incumbent has avoided debates and public forums to defend her record, maintaining that Arizona is fundamentally a center-right state ready for a change in direction.