Trump-backed Andy Biggs wins GOP nomination for governor and other Arizona primary takeaways

By David Wright, Katie Doran, CNN

(CNN) — Rep. Andy Biggs will win the Republican nomination for governor in Arizona, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, setting up a November clash with Democratic incumbent Gov. Katie Hobbs in the battleground state.

The win for Biggs, a close ally of President Donald Trump who secured his coveted support, is an affirmation of the president’s grip on GOP politics following an uneven run of presidential endorsements this cycle.

Trump’s picks scored further wins down the ballot on Tuesday, including in the race to replace Biggs in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District where the president’s backing helped a controversy-laden candidate capture the Republican nomination.

In addition to a high-stakes gubernatorial race, Arizona hosts multiple toss-up congressional races that could help determine control of the US House.

Here are the key takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries:

Biggs set to take on Hobbs

Hobbs is among the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents in the country after defeating conservative firebrand Kari Lake by less than a percentage point in 2022. In looking ahead to her general election matchup against Biggs, she’s sought to similarly cast him as too extreme for the purple state.

First elected to Congress in 2016, Biggs established a reputation as a hardline conservative. He was a member of the House Freedom Caucus, serving a term as chair, and he voted against the certification of the 2020 election, embracing Trump’s false claims and efforts to overturn the outcome.

Trump – having previously endorsed withdrawn candidate Karrin Taylor Robson – backed Biggs’ gubernatorial bid in April, and the congressman also carried the endorsement of the late Charlie Kirk and the support of Kirk’s influential conservative activist organization, Turning Point Action.

In the primary against his House colleague, Rep. David Schweikert, Biggs worked to soften his reputation as an ideologue, touting efforts at bipartisanship in Congress despite staking out deeply conservative positions on taxes, health care funding and election reforms.

Biggs now advances to a general election where that message will be put to the test, as Hobbs and state Democrats lean into his record in a state where Republican candidates closely aligned with the president’s MAGA movement have at times struggled to break through.

A Trump-backed candidate overcomes controversy

Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb will win the Republican nomination for Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, positioning him as the heavy favorite to succeed Biggs in the deep-red East Valley seat.

Billing himself as “America’s Sheriff,” Lamb ran a high-profile campaign centered on his law enforcement background, securing key endorsements from Trump and the influential Club for Growth. However, his campaign was rocked late in the race by a series of Arizona Republic reports detailing allegations of personal misconduct involving sexting and threats.

Lamb has denied wrongdoing and an investigation by the Pinal County Attorney’s Office found “no evidence that Lamb acted in a criminal manner.”

The former sheriff has also faced scrutiny on the campaign trail over his stance on the 2020 election. While Lamb has defended Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 results, he acknowledged during a congressional hearing that he had seen “zero evidence” of fraud that could have impacted the outcome that year.

Despite skipping a debate and facing a barrage of attack ads from opponent Daniel Keenan, Lamb’s name recognition and Trump’s backing carried him across the finish line. He advances to the November general election, where he is overwhelmingly favored to win the historically safe Republican seat.

A former Arizona Cardinal awaits a Democratic opponent

Former NFL kicker Jay Feely will win the GOP House primary in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.

On the campaign trail, the athlete-turned-broadcaster leaned heavily on his relationship with Trump, who endorsed him, and outraised his primary opponents with financial support from powerful figures in the sports world. He also injected more than $300,000 of his own money into the race.

Feely retired from the NFL in 2014 after a 14-year career that included four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

He initially launched a bid for Arizona’s 5th District but pivoted to the 1st District, which includes Scottsdale and parts of Phoenix, after Trump endorsed another GOP candidate in that race.

Schweikert, the 1st District’s current congressman, announced that he would not seek reelection as he ran for governor.

Beating out former Arizona state Rep. Joseph Chaplik and tech businessman John Trobough, Feely will advance to a competitive general election as Republicans seek to defend the battleground district and a narrow House majority.

The contest between former Arizona state Rep. Amish Shah and former broadcast journalist Marlene Galán-Woods for the Democratic nomination remains too early to call.

Shah and Galán-Woods are reprising their matchup from the 2024 Democratic primary, which Shah won before losing in the general election to Schweikert. In this year’s primary, however, Galán-Woods has the support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, including her in its “Red to Blue” program for strong recruits.

An election denier wins GOP nomination for secretary of state

In another contest with significant stakes, CNN projects that state Rep. Alexander Kolodin will win the Republican nomination for secretary of state, defeating former Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda.

Kolodin, an attorney, was involved in multiple lawsuits challenging the legitimacy of the 2020 and 2022 elections in Arizona, echoing Trump’s false claims about election fraud and representing “fake electors” in efforts to disqualify mail-in ballots.

While facing sanctions from the state bar for his actions around the 2020 election, Kolodin continued to make election reforms a priority, advocating for an amendment to the state Constitution to require identification to vote – a proposal now set to be decided in a fall ballot measure.

That record now faces intensifying scrutiny as Kolodin advances to a potentially competitive general election against incumbent Adrian Fontes in his bid to be Arizona’s elections chief.

A key matchup on the border with Mexico

The general election race for Arizona’s battleground 6th District is now set, with Democrat JoAnna Mendoza positioned to take on incumbent Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani.

Both candidates ran unopposed in their primaries but have fundraised heavily in advance of their November showdown. By early July, Mendoza had raised more than $7 million with Ciscomani close behind with $6 million, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Mendoza, a Navy and Marine Corps veteran, has drawn on her personal history growing up in poverty in rural Arizona and as a single mother on the campaign trail to highlight her support for government assistance programs, affordable housing and veterans.

A member of the Hell Cats, a group of Democratic female military veterans running for Congress this cycle, Mendoza has also spoken out about being sexually assaulted during her service and turning to alcohol in the aftermath. In an interview with the New York Times in June, Mendoza, who is now sober, described her experiences and how a driving while intoxicated charge prompted her to change her life.

Ciscomani, who was born in Mexico and immigrated to the US with his family as a child, has also leaned on his biography in his reelection bid and in his support for Trump’s immigration policies. The issue is especially salient in the 6th District, which borders Mexico, and where an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detention facility is set to open.

The race is expected to be one of the most competitive House contests of the cycle, with Democrats eyeing the district as a prime pick-up opportunity in their bid to retake the majority.

This headline and story have been updated with additional details.

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