Andy Biggs

President Donald Trump said Rep. Andy Biggs would "be a great governor" at a Phoenix rally.

Biggs outlined his gubernatorial platform, including tax cuts and restoring a border strike force.

The event, hosted by Turning Point Action, aimed to energize Republican voters for the November elections.

President Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for longtime U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs during a stop in Phoenix, saying he hated to lose Biggs' conservative vote in Congress but that he would "be a great governor" instead.

Trump spoke to a friendly crowd at Dream City Church at an event hosted by the conservative groups Turning Point Action and Turning Point USA.

Speakers at the four-hour event on April 17 focused on energizing GOP voters to turn out in November, when the election of Arizona's governor and members of Congress are expected to be some of the most competitive contests in the nation.

Trump urged voters to protect the GOP's congressional majority, which is key to his agenda, and support Biggs to challenge Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Biggs, wearing an American flag tie, spoke for about 20 minutes in a message that was both political and personal. He reminded voters he had Trump’s endorsement, doing an impression of the president and recounting when Trump called last year to tell Biggs it was coming.

The impression drew laughs from the crowd, which cheered Biggs on even as he said there was a more important endorsement he carried. That, he said, growing emotional, was from his wife of more than 40 years, Cindy.

Biggs offered a largely positive vision for the state's future.

"We need to think big," Biggs said. "We need to think big things, dream big dreams, and restore Arizona to its unlimited potential."

What does Andy Biggs want to do if elected governor?

Biggs spun through a highlight reel of what the GOP has accomplished in Congress with Trump in power, and contrasted it against Hobbs’ leadership over the last three years.

“We delivered,” Biggs said. “President Trump and Republicans in Congress delivered the biggest tax cut in human history. President Trump helped bring the biggest microchip manufacturer to this state. … With help from our members of Congress, we've secured the border.”

Biggs blasted Hobbs for disbanding her predecessor’s border strike force, a special unit of the state police that did drug enforcement, albeit not just at the border. He said he would bring back that unit, if elected governor.

He said he would cut taxes and eliminate taxes on tips and overtime, taking a dig at Hobbs over the tax fight currently stagnating at the state Capitol. Hobbs vetoed a bill that Republican lawmakers sent her in January, because it also included tax cuts for corporations that she opposes.

Biggs is leading in public polls for his party's nomination to challenge Hobbs, and both have sought to appeal to voters struggling with rising costs.

“Arizona can’t trust Katie Hobbs, you cannot afford Katie Hobbs, and we cannot, and must not reelect Katie Hobbs,” Biggs said, to cheers.

As governor, Biggs said he would reduce Arizona’s reliance on California for gasoline to lower prices at the pump. He wants to reform the state’s cleaner burning fuel standards, deliver election results on election night, have “real healthy food options that taste good at schools,” end waste, fraud and abuse in state programs and use more state land to build houses.

Congressional hopefuls, federal lawmakers warm up crowd for Trump

The president’s visit gave Republican congressmen and candidates a chance to amplify their profiles. Candidates Jay Feely and Mark Lamb shared the stage with Reps. Eli Crane, Abe Hamadeh, Juan Ciscomani and Paul Gosar, who are also on the ballot.

Trump gave each a shout-out, also naming Turning Point-aligned candidates for state office. Those included Senate President Warren Petersen, who is running for attorney general, and Treasurer Kimberly Yee, who is running for superintendent of public instruction.

Those remarks stopped short of an official endorsement, but Trump noted applause for Petersen showed he was "popular, Warren, very popular."

Rep. David Schweikert, who is also seeking the GOP nomination for governor but has been critical of Turning Point and does not have the president’s endorsement, did not attend. But his supporters left campaign flyers on cars in the church parking lot, and his signs anchored nearby street corners.

Biggs and Ciscomani, who are in two of the nation’s highest profile and most competitive races, skirted around controversial topics within their party while onstage, not mentioning the Epstein files or the war in Iran.

Ciscomani, who represents southeastern Arizona and areas of Tucson, focused on his own history. This is Ciscomani’s 20th year as a U.S. citizen. He was born in Mexico and emigrated with his family when he was 11. Four years ago, he was elected to Congress after the retirement of Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick, flipping the seat for the GOP.

“No other country in the world would have given me that opportunity," he said. "I am a proud and grateful adopted son into this amazing nation, my amazing nation."

He noted, though, that this year his district is a top target for Democrats. Complicating the picture for the GOP nationally is historical losses for the party in power during midterm cycles, signaling the winds are in Democrats' favor. Democrats also feel emboldened by special election wins across the nation this year and in 2025.

With control of Congress on the line, it was members from Arizona's reliably red districts that offered the GOP voters red meat.

Hamadeh, who was elected in 2024, declared the 2022 election was "stolen" and exaggerated voting equipment issues in Maricopa County. Hamadeh was defeated by Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes in that cycle, and his lawsuits over the outcome were dismissed in court.

“They couldn’t steal it from President Trump because it was too big to rig," Hamadeh said. "That’s what we’ve got to do for Andy Biggs.”

What did rallygoers think?

Kate Brown, of Tempe, said as she left that she believed Biggs would be a good governor because of his conservative record, and she believed he was "for the people."

The president's visit offered a few hours of positivity despite dark moments, she said. Brown noted the killing of Charlie Kirk, Turning Point's founder, last year.

"I think it's time to get spirited again," she said.

Robert Caretto, of Phoenix, said he felt a renewed sense of how important it was for Republicans to win in November.

"I'm feeling great," he said, though he had one concern about the GOP's odds.

"That's my biggest concern, is about the fraud in elections," he said.