GOP candidate Biggs lists actions he pledges to take if elected AZ governor

Andy Biggs is promising major changes that could affect Tucson households, schools, businesses and local governments if he becomes Arizona governor. The Republican congressman and former state Senate president outlined his agenda Tuesday at the Capitol, including eliminating the state income tax, expanding school choice, encouraging nuclear power, changing water policy and restricting what people can buy with food stamps. His proposals also would reverse or challenge several policies supported by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Biggs’ plan comes as Arizona voters prepare for a competitive election season. A recent poll by Noble Predictive Insights found Biggs leading fellow Republican U.S. Rep. David Schweikert in the GOP primary, with 48% support to Schweikert’s 18%. About 34% of Republican voters remained undecided. In a general election matchup, however, Hobbs led Biggs by four percentage points and Schweikert by seven. Hobbs’ advantage is tied in part to support from independent voters, who make up Arizona’s largest voting bloc even though Republicans outnumber Democrats among registered voters.

For Tucson residents, one of Biggs’ most consequential proposals would be to eliminate Arizona’s individual income tax. The tax brings in an estimated $6 billion annually, roughly one third of the state’s nearly $18 billion in tax revenue. Sales and use taxes generate about $8.7 billion. Biggs said the change would be phased in and would not require higher taxes elsewhere or cuts to government services. He argued that Arizona’s previous tax reductions stimulated economic growth without reducing total state revenue. Hobbs’ campaign has responded that Biggs sponsored a federal proposal that would have replaced income, payroll, estate and gift taxes with a 23% national sales tax, though Biggs’ state proposal has not been described in comparable detail.

Biggs also said he would expand Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program, with a focus on students in inner city and rural communities who lack convenient access to private or religious schools. He wants Arizona to participate in a new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program, which could provide scholarships for qualifying students to attend private schools and pay for tutoring, transportation and after school programs. Hobbs vetoed legislation authorizing Arizona’s participation, saying she wanted to evaluate whether the program had sufficient safeguards. Biggs also pledged to allow students to use the federal credit for some public school related expenses, a step Hobbs has not taken.

Several of Biggs’ other proposals directly respond to actions by Hobbs or disagreements between the two politicians. He would repeal Hobbs’ executive order designed to speed approval of renewable energy projects on state land, including solar and wind developments that have faced objections from nearby property owners. He supports building more nuclear power in Arizona and would reverse Hobbs’ veto of legislation that would have expedited small modular reactors by exempting them from local zoning requirements. He also wants to permit college and university students who are at least 18 to opt out of required vaccinations, after Hobbs rejected a bill she called unnecessary.

Water policy would be another major point of conflict. Biggs said Arizona should rely more heavily on groundwater, which he described as abundant. Hobbs has rejected proposals that she said could weaken protections for the state’s water supplies. That debate matters across Southern Arizona, where questions about groundwater, development and long term availability have become increasingly important to communities, farms and residents. Biggs did not provide specific details about how his approach would change current rules or how it would affect local water planning.

Biggs also proposed eliminating tax incentives for data centers. Hobbs suggested ending those breaks in January, but the final state budget imposed only a three year pause. Biggs said he would allow restaurants and coffee shops to serve raw milk, which people can currently buy at grocery stores but which cannot be served by commercial establishments under state regulations. He wants to limit the number of homes corporate investors can purchase and convert into short term rentals, and give cities more authority to regulate those rentals. That would undo a 2016 law signed by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey that removed much of cities’ ability to set limits. A previous bill targeting corporate ownership of short term rentals failed after a Republican legislator declined to give it a hearing.

Food assistance is another area where Biggs would seek a change affecting low income Arizona residents. He supports restricting purchases made with food stamps, including a proposed ban on “junk food” and soda. The Legislature approved a similar measure in 2025, but Hobbs vetoed it, arguing that it would create a separate and stigmatized class of grocery shoppers. Biggs also wants the state to require disclosure of political contributions from companies seeking state contracts. Hobbs vetoed such legislation twice while facing scrutiny over a contract increase awarded to a major donor.

At the Capitol appearance, Biggs emphasized his future agenda while declining to discuss parts of his congressional record. He was questioned about supporting military action in Iran and tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, both of which have affected Arizona’s economy. Biggs voted six times this year against House resolutions directing the president to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities in Iran. When asked about higher gasoline and diesel prices associated with the conflict, he acknowledged the increases as an unfortunate reality and said he had raised his concerns with the president and his administration. He did not answer questions about his support for Trump’s tariffs, saying instead that fuel costs were not the sole reason Arizona had become less affordable.

Biggs’ agenda now moves into a campaign shaped by both the Republican primary and the broader contest with Hobbs. His advertisements have largely targeted the governor, portraying him as a leader who would make Arizona more prosperous while accusing Hobbs of failing to lead and contributing to rising costs. The primary is still more than two months away according to the polling report, while early voting is just over two weeks away according to the Capitol account. Whether Tucson voters focus on taxes, water, education, energy, housing or the candidates’ records, Biggs is offering a broad platform that would significantly alter state policy if he wins.