Rep. David Schweikert, a six-term Republican from Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, reportedly announced Tuesday that he is entering the 2026 governor’s race, positioning himself as a champion of conservative, pro-growth policies and warning voters against allowing Arizona to drift toward the economic stagnation and overregulation he associates with California.
“Arizona is at a crossroads that will be decided by the outcome of next year’s race for governor,” Schweikert said in a statement. “Arizonans will have the opportunity to decide if our future is one of economic growth and prosperity for all Arizonans, or a future where we become another California.”
Schweikert cast his candidacy as the natural extension of his record in Congress, where he has built a reputation for fiscal conservatism. “I’ve spent my career fighting for conservative pro-growth policies that strengthen the economy, promote job growth, and protect taxpayers, and that’s exactly what I intend to do as Arizona’s next governor,” he said.
The announcement opens up his suburban Phoenix House seat, which has been rated a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
In 2022, Schweikert narrowly won reelection, defeating his Democratic challenger by just 3.8 percentage points, according to Decision Desk HQ. His departure is likely to make the seat one of the most closely contested races in the country.
Schweikert joins a Republican primary that already includes prominent contenders. Karrin Taylor Robson, a businesswoman and major GOP donor who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2022, has declared her candidacy, as has Rep. Andy Biggs, the outspoken conservative from the Phoenix suburbs.
Their entrance signals a high-stakes intraparty battle for control of the state GOP, which has been reshaped in recent years by President Donald Trump’s enduring influence.
Arizona has emerged as a battleground state in national politics, with razor-thin margins defining recent contests. Joe Biden narrowly won the state in 2020, while Trump recaptured it in 2024, underscoring its role as a swing state.
That volatility has elevated the stakes of the governor’s race, which could influence both state policy and the 2028 presidential election.
Democrats, meanwhile, have sought to frame Schweikert’s candidacy as emblematic of what they call a Republican lurch to the right. Sam Newton, communications director for the Democratic Governors Association, dismissed Schweikert’s record as extreme. “Schweikert’s entrance into the Arizona governor’s race confirms that the GOP primary is only going to be even nastier, more extreme, and more expensive,” Newton said in a statement. He accused Schweikert of having “spent his time in Congress voting to gut Social Security and slash health care to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, supporting an extreme abortion ban, and pushing to overturn the 2020 election.”
The GOP contest will unfold against the backdrop of Arizona’s shifting electorate and recent Democratic gains. Just last week, Adelita Grijalva, daughter of the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva, won a special election in a safe Democratic district. But Schweikert and other Republicans are betting that voters are increasingly dissatisfied with progressive governance, especially on issues like inflation, border security, and taxation.
By casting Arizona’s choice as one between prosperity and decline, Schweikert is betting that his message of fiscal discipline and economic growth can resonate not only with the Republican base but also with the independents who often decide statewide races.
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