Gina Swoboda is ‘waiting’ for President Trump’s approval after filing for Arizona secretary of state

PHOENIX – Former Arizona GOP leader Gina Swoboda said she is not going to jump to the secretary of state race unless President Trump is OK with her switching.

Swoboda filed a statement of interest for secretary of state on Tuesday after initially campaigning for a U.S. House seat from the 1st Congressional District (CD1).

“I am waiting to see what happens, and I’m also waiting to see what the president wants me to do,” Swoboda told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos on Wednesday. “I got into that race with the endorsement for CD1. I’m still in there.

“People got a little excited yesterday, which was gratifying. But I’m not going to jump unless the president’s OK with me jumping.”

Swoboda said she doesn’t want to waste resources and have everyone “beat each other up.”

Swoboda was chair of the Arizona Republican Party when she entered the CD1 race in October with President Donald Trump’s endorsement. However, Trump gave Jay Feely a second endorsement in the race after the former Arizona Cardinals kicker switched from the 5th Congressional District race.

Feely changed direction after Trump endorsed former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in CD5.

Since incumbent Reps. David Schweikert and Andy Biggs are both running for governor this year, CD1 and CD5 will both be open seats.

“As the chair, it’s very frustrating to have a lot of talent in one race and to have dual endorsements and to have … us all beat each other up and spend all our money and then limp into the general election,” Swoboda said.

Swoboda worked in the Arizona secretary of state’s office under Katie Hobbs before Hobbs was elected as governor in 2022. Swoboda later served as chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party from 2024 to 2026.

“I did file a statement of interest because I get asked … constantly about that office. I love that office and I’ve missed it every day since I left in August of 2020 and a lot of people will speculate and say, ‘Oh it would be great and we will support you,’ but people talking and being able to do it are two different things. I think I still have kind of chair brain.”

While Swoboda can collect signatures for both the secretary of state and CD1 races, she can only file for one office.

She said a big reason why she filed the statement of interest Tuesday is because the legislature is moving the primary up two weeks and as part of that, they’re moving the filing window up for signatures two weeks.

“I would have essentially 44 days to collect about 10,000 signatures. So, if I get the all clear to do this thing, I can’t realistically wait much longer and hit that number,” Swoboda said.

KTAR News’ Kevin Stone contributed to this report.

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