Copper State Chaos: Arizona Republicans Open New Year in Bitter, Chaotic Primary Fight

Welcome to Copper State Chaos, Copper State War Room’s weekly recap on the fails, feuds, and full-blown chaos in the Arizona GOP gubernatorial primary. As Andy Biggs, Karrin Taylor Robson, and David Schweikert are locked in a bitter race to the bottom, this primary is spiraling into an ugly, expensive mess. We’ll keep the receipts – so you don’t have to. 

Don’t miss this week’s chaos:

LESS MONEY, MORE PROBLEMS: The Arizona GOP primary is getting messier and more expensive by the day, with candidates and their PACs burning millions – including nearly $1 million from outside groups boosting Andy Biggs, Karrin Taylor Robson, and David Schweikert – and still getting outraised quarter after quarter by Governor Katie Hobbs. Schweikert leaned on a questionable transfer and is on pace to run out of cash quickly. Biggs finished third despite leading in most polls, and Taylor Robson is weighed down by three times as much debt as cash on hand, with a super PAC that raised $0 (you read that right) this quarter. 

GROCERY GOLDEN AGE? (JUST KIDDING): With tariffs raining down from Washington, prices are climbing – fast. This week, that didn’t stop Andy Biggs from boasting that consumer prices are down before subsequently declaring the current period an economic “Golden Age.” Billionaire corporate lobbyist Karrin Taylor Robson claimed that “America is coming back.” Arizonans looking at their grocery store receipts know better.

SUBTWEET STATION: David Schweikert has not stopped throwing uppercuts at Karrin Taylor Robson’s candidacy. Last month, he branded her “unelectable,” releasing a public memo that urged her to drop out altogether, stating that her “days as a viable candidate” have “always been numbered.” Ouch! Schweikert beat Taylor Robson in a GOP county straw poll last week after she only secured a single vote, and recently tweeted a shot that she “keeps landing in the same place:” the bottom of the pack. 

SHORTCHANGING SENIORS: After rejecting Gov. Hobbs’ plan to provide working seniors $6,000 in tax relief, Andy Biggs, Karrin Taylor Robson, and David Schweikert endorsed a scheme to hike taxes instead, burdening seniors to cover tax breaks for billionaires. Andy Biggs said himself, this bill was “aggressively delivering on our agenda.” Karrin Taylor Robson and David Schweikert both defended the scheme to raise taxes on working seniors, with Taylor Robson even describing these billionaire tax breaks as “common-sense.” No matter who the GOP nominee for governor is, they are certainly no friend to Arizona seniors.

OH BROTHER, THIS GAL STINKS!: Mark your calendars! This Sunday, January 25th, we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the day Karrin Taylor Robson was brutally booed at the annual Arizona GOP meeting. She continues to struggle with the grassroots because hey, what’s more relatable than being a billionaire corporate lobbyist!

That’s all for Copper State Chaos this week. Thanks for reading – we’ll be back next week to keep tabs on the chaos. Have a great weekend!

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