David Schweikert

Andy Biggs would rank President Donald Trump's job performance 4 1/2 on a scale that tops out at 5, but he doesn't want to say why he docked the president a half point.

Biggs, a close ally of Trump, is the Republican frontrunner for the party's nomination for governor. His ranking of the president came in response to questions The Arizona Republic asked Biggs and his rival, fellow Rep. David Schweikert.

The questions also covered their track records and what each would do if elected. They were written to reflect what readers said were their top issues in a recent survey conducted by The Republic, and also to reveal any ideological differences between Biggs and Schweikert.

Their responses, in their own words, are below.

The candidates are seeking the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in November, one of the most closely watched gubernatorial races on the national map this year because of Arizona's swing-state status. Both are longtime conservatives: Biggs has been in Congress since 2016 and Schweikert since 2010. But among the ways they differ is their embrace of Trump.

Hobbs does not have a challenger for the Democratic nomination, so she was not yet asked to answer similar questions.

Two other Republican candidates, Ken Miceli and Scott Neely, did not respond to the questions despite repeated requests. Neely also ran for the GOP nomination in 2022 but came in fourth in a five-way primary.

What are your top priorities if elected Arizona governor?

Biggs: Under Katie Hobbs, our state has become unaffordable to live in. We are going to Restore the American Dream in Arizona and that means we need to ease the burden of taxes, housing costs, and utility rates on Arizonans. We’re going to eliminate the state income tax, attract and create better paying jobs, utilize our state’s resources like land and minerals to help Arizonans prosper, find ways to build more homes and bring down housing costs, and prioritize reliable and affordable types of energy to reduce utility rates.

We can do all of this while investing in public safety to protect families and children, managing our water responsibly, and implementing the MAHA agenda at the state level.

Schweikert: My top priorities as governor will be to strengthen Arizona’s economy, increase wage growth, and return Arizona to being a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

As governor, what concrete steps will you take to make life more affordable here?

Biggs: Let’s start by focusing on Arizonans keeping more of their money and eliminate the state income tax. If we want to be competitive with Texas and Nevada, we need to get to zero.

We also need to make housing more affordable, and an easy fix is permanently repealing Katie Hobbs’ housing moratorium to give homebuilders certainty into the future. The State Land Department is also in need of reforms and when we start properly utilizing this resource, we’ll be able to further slash taxes in our state.

My administration will prioritize reliable and affordable energy types like natural gas and nuclear instead of the wind and solar platform that Hobbs has promoted while utility companies ask for 14% rate hikes. That stops when I’m Governor.

Schweikert: The quickest way to make Arizona more affordable is to increase wages. We increase wages by creating an environment where companies with good paying jobs want to come to our state. Unfortunately, politicians in both parties have become increasingly hostile to policies that promote job and wage growth. As Governor, I intend to change that.

News reporting and a recent state audit raised concern about misspending within the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account private school voucher program. Does the state need to make changes to that program, and if so, what should they be?

Biggs: Any type of fraud is concerning, whether it's the $2.5 billion in fraud found in our Medicaid program or the wasteful spending we see in our school districts. If taxpayer dollars are being spent, the public should know how and where they are being spent.

The ESA program has been a fantastic way for 100,000 Arizona children, many of them with special needs and disabilities, to find educational programs that work for them. I’ll continue to defend those families and their right to school choice while working through new vendors and technology to make sure we are catching questionable spending choices at the front end instead of finding out about issues after money has been spent.

I’ll also reevaluate which agency the program should fall under to make sure we are being as responsible as possible with taxpayer dollars.

Schweikert: I support school choice and the ESA program, and as Governor, I will continue to support the program. What I don’t support are participants in the program who commit fraud and steal from the taxpayers of this state. As governor, I will take the necessary steps to root out fraud and abuse in the ESA program so that educational choice will continue to grow and thrive in our state.

A Gallup poll in April found just 10% of Americans approve of Congress, a near record low. A Pew Research Center analysis in 2025 found just a quarter of Republicans trust the federal government. Why should Arizonans trust you can deliver results if elected governor?

Biggs: Arizonans have seen me deliver results for years at the State Legislature and in Congress. When I served as Arizona Senate President, I worked with Governors Jan Brewer and Doug Ducey to structurally balance our budget, increase funding to the Department of Child Safety, and reduce our state's tax burden while our economy flourished.

In Congress, I’ve fought for our conservative values while getting things done for our state like passing the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert Act with Senator John McCain to extend funding to protect children in every Arizona community. I also voted for No Tax on Tips and No Tax on Overtime in the historic Working Families Tax Cut.

Arizonans have seen my track record and that's why I've never lost an election. They know I’ll be able to stand on my principles and deliver results as Governor.

Schweikert: Make no mistake, Congress is broken. I have spent almost 16 years trying to convince my colleagues of the vital importance of reducing the national debt and restoring fiscal sanity to the federal government. Unfortunately, too many members of Congress have no interest in making the tough, but necessary decisions needed to ensure that our children and grandchildren have the same opportunities that we do. Arizonans should look at my record of success in Congress in helping to write and pass two of the largest tax-cuts in American history. Tax-cuts that have saved the average Arizona family real money. I also have a record of successfully helping Arizona businesses large and small grow and prosper by reducing their tax burden and eliminating job-killing regulations.

Rate President Donald Trump’s job performance on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best president ever. Please explain your rating.

Biggs: 4.5

Schweikert: Throughout my career running and winning in one of the toughest and most competitive congressional districts in the country, I have always run on my proven record of conservative leadership and not Washington politics. This race is about the future of Arizona full stop.

In Congress, you objected to certifying votes that Trump lost the White House in 2020. As governor, you would be called on to certify election results. What would you say to a voter who worries you might try to stand in the way of whoever wins the 2028 presidential election?

Biggs: There are still improvements that need to happen in our election system, but we've come a long way since 2020. As Governor, I will have no problem certifying an election where all election laws are followed regardless of the outcome.

Schweikert: I voted to certify Arizona's election in 2020 and again in 2024.

As governor, how would you approach working across party lines, whether with Democrats in the Legislature or potentially a Democratic president in 2028?

Biggs: When I served as Senate President in 2015, our final budget earned bipartisan support before it was signed by Governor Ducey.

I’ve worked with Democrats like Oregon Senator Ron Wyden on FISA reform, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on anti-corruption measures, and Arizona Congressman Greg Stanton on protecting Arizona’s water rights.

I’m campaigning for Republicans to have a majority in the State House and Senate because I know our values match what Arizonans want, but I have no problem working across the aisle if we can get important things done for our state.

Schweikert: I am a free-market conservative who is committed to policies that promote economic growth and prosperity, and that won't change if I am elected Governor. At the same time, my top priority as Governor will be to ensure that Arizona is a thriving and prosperous state with real job and wage growth. That is a priority that leaders from both parties should share. And that’s why I will work with anyone from any party who agrees with me.