GOP Rep. David Schweikert weighs a run for governor

The longtime congressman is considering a primary challenge against two candidates who are already backed by President Donald Trump.

Punchbowl News reporter John Bresnahan wrote on X that per multiple sources, US Rep. David Schweikert, a Republican representing Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, is considering a run for governor.

If Schweikert runs for governor, Republicans will have to put up a candidate to defend his vulnerable district, which has been labeled a “toss up,” by the Cook Political Report. 

Schweikert’s longtime campaign consultant, Chris Baker, told Axios that the congressman was approached “by several prominent Arizona Republicans who are concerned with the current field of candidates” and asked to run.

If Schweikert tosses his hat in the ring for the Republican nomination for the governorship, he will be competing against Rep. Andy Biggs and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson for the nomination, and both have already earned the endorsement of President Trump.

Schweikert has represented parts of Phoenix and Scottsdale for over a decade. In 2023, the district was redrawn and made more competitive, affirming Democrats’ belief that they can flip the district blue.

In 2024, he narrowly defeated emergency room doctor Amish Shah, a Democrat, by about 4%. Shah has announced his intent to run against the congressman again in 2026 and joins a crowded Democratic field alongside Marlene Galán-Woods, Mark Robert Gordon, Brian Del Vecchio, Rick McCartney, and Jonathan Treble.

Numbers by Noble Predictive Insights, a nonpartisan polling group, have far-right congressman Biggs trailing Robson. The polling was conducted prior to right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s endorsement of Biggs. Schweikert joining the race could threaten Robson’s lead.

Biggs and Robson often attack each other for their perceived lack of allegiance to President Donald Trump. In July, Robson slammed Biggs’ for his lack of enthusiasm for President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act“ (OBBBA), and has vowed to be a pro-Trump governor if elected.

At a Turning Point rally in May, Biggs gloated that while Robson has Trump’s endorsement, he has Trump’s personal cell phone number, implying his relationship with Trump runs deeper than Robson’s.

“There’s a difference between being endorsed by President Trump, and being endorsed by President Trump and having his personal cell phone number, and I got it,” Biggs said.

If Schweikert joins the race, he will have less than a year to begin campaigning to secure the nomination. The vacancy could also boost Democratic hopes of flipping his seat in the 2026 midterms.

The candidates will compete for the Republican Party nomination on Aug. 4, 2026.

From there, the Republican nominee will face Democratic incumbent Gov. Katie Hobbs in the general election to persuade Arizona voters on their vision for the state.