Andy Biggs, David Schweikert argue electability in only GOP debate before Arizona governor primary

Four Republicans vying to challenge Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs met Wednesday night in the only debate of the primary season. The spotlight fell squarely on the two front-runners: U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs and David Schweikert.

Businessmen Scott Neely and Ken Miceli rounded out the stage at the hourlong forum sponsored by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, less than a week before early voting begins.

Biggs, who holds President Donald Trump’s endorsement, leaned hard on his lead in the polls.

“In every poll that’s been released, I am the most competitive Republican in the entire state with Katie Hobbs,” he said, casting himself as a proven bipartisan dealmaker who can win over independents.

Schweikert made his pitch by saying he is the only candidate who has repeatedly survived tough races, noting that Arizona now has more independents than Republicans.

“Over the last six years, I’m told I’m the Democrats’ most expensive loss in America,” Schweikert said.

The candidates found common ground on data centers, supporting the moratorium on special tax breaks for data centers included in the recently passed budget.

Biggs said that under his administration, operators would build their own power and pay for their own infrastructure.

“Nobody in Arizona, no consumer, of residential or commercial, should be paying for the infrastructure for that project,” he said.

Neely went further, vowing to bar new data centers unless they build their own desalination plants.

Water policy exposes divide

Biggs pushed back on the premise that Arizona is running dry, despite record low water levels across the state.

“We don’t have a water shortage. We have a water management issue, and you need someone who knows water, like I do,” Biggs said.  ”It was my lead working with (Rep.) Greg Stanton that got $350 million released from the federal government to work on mitigation on water-related issues.”

Neely pitched an “all of the above” approach, including restarting a Yuma desalination plant and piping saltwater from Mexico.

Miceli warned the state is in crisis, with Lake Powell at 32% capacity.

On the cost of living, Schweikert, who has a finance background, said the fastest way to ease the squeeze is to recruit businesses and drive up wages.

“Get off your backside, recruit every great business you can,” he said.

Biggs defended his pledge to eliminate the state income tax, insisting it would not require cutting services.

“I’m not saying you’re gonna have to cut services per se,” he said, pointing instead to fraud recovery and underused state assets. “We have dormant assets, we have resources that are underutilized and when you start bringing those into bear, you can actually incrementally start moving this down on the income tax.”

 

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Neely and Miceli both promised dramatic property tax cuts, with Miceli vowing to eliminate the tax entirely by his second year in office.

Candidates divided on healthcare, election security and who can beat Katie Hobbs

Asked about expired Affordable Care Act subsidies that raised premiums, Schweikert criticized the rest of the field’s grasp of the budget.

“Will someone here actually read budgets? Because a lot of the word salads so far have been absurd,” he said, before outlining a plan to lower Medicaid costs by promoting healthier lifestyles.

The candidates also clashed on election security, with Neely calling for one-day, in-person voting and Miceli proposing a biometric system.

Neither Biggs nor Schweikert went as far, finding a more measured tone, acknowledging that most Arizona voters prefer mail-in ballots while calling for tighter verification.

Schweikert returned the conversation to Biggs’ electability.

“My friend at the end, I know this is tough with us running against each other,” Schweikert said, motioning to Biggs. “When you’re wholly owned by Turning Point, and you’ve lost election, and lost election, and lost election, it puts everything and our future at risk.”

Biggs used his closing statement to pose a single question: “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?”

Senate President Warren Petersen reacts to the debate, supporting Andy Biggs

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, a Republican who has endorsed Biggs and watched the debate from KTAR News 92.3 FM’s studios, said the congressman performed like the clear leader.

“I think Biggs was, as he should, the front-runner, way ahead. I think he played it safe, but I think he also showed he’s a strong, serious, steady leader,” Petersen told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Evening News.

Petersen also disputed the argument that Schweikert is more electable in November, pointing to head-to-head polling against Hobbs.

“The numbers are actually showing that (Biggs) is the strongest candidate to beat Katie Hobbs,” Petersen said. “He’s the only one that actually has a poll that shows him beating her.”

Arizona’s primary is July 21. Early voting starts June 24.

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