Copper State Chaos: Bipartisan Bust; Disappearing Act; Unmitigated Disaster; Crocodile Tears

Welcome to Copper State Chaos, Copper State War Room’s weekly recap of the fails, feuds, and chaos in the Arizona Republican gubernatorial primary.

In a Republican primary where his opponents and his own party are sounding the alarm, this week showed just how extreme Biggs really is no matter how much he tries to run from his own record.

Don’t miss this week’s chaos: 

BIPARTISAN BUST: As he desperately tries to rebrand himself as bipartisan, Andy Biggs is striking out with both sides of the aisle. Republicans and Democrats agree his record is too extreme for Arizona. It’s easy to see why: the self-proclaimed “most pro-Trump, Member of Congress” has voted against a long list of bipartisan bills, including legislation to lower housing costs for Arizona families and protect seniors from scammers and bad actors. At the state level, a bipartisan deal to protect police officers, fire fighters, and teachers collapsed entirely because Biggs inserted himself into negotiations to shield waste, fraud, and abuse in the ESA program. 

DISAPPEARING ACT: Andy Biggs’ campaign strategy is simple: don't show up, hide in the basement, and no one will ask about your extreme record. Arizona’s Family highlighted his pattern of skipping multiple Republican-organized primary debates, a day after KJZZ labeled him a “debate dodger.” He was absent from the Sun City West Republican forum, following an earlier no-show at a televised PBS candidate forum. Fellow Republican Scott Neely made the most of the empty podium, directing voters to "The Biggs Files," an "alarming" record of votes shielding sex traffickers and predators. Basement Biggs can duck the stage, but Arizonans aren't going to stop asking questions.

UNMITIGATED DISASTER: One year after Andy Biggs and David Schweikert supported the disastrous Washington budget law that hiked healthcare costs for Arizona families, a new ABC15 report shows the fallout is only getting started. Mike Renaud, CEO of community health provider Valle del Sol, warned that Washington’s continued Medicaid cuts will cause "an unmitigated disaster" for Arizona. Biggs has called the DC budget a “good thing” and has pushed for “the more cut approach,” while Schweikert bragged about personally co-writing the law driving up Arizona’s cost of living.

CROCODILE TEARS: New reporting has laid out how Andy Biggs’ decades-long anti-abortion record is too extreme for Arizona, following his refusal to say whether he would repeal Prop 139, the constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights that 61 percent of Arizona voters approved. He’s so committed to stripping reproductive freedom from Arizonans that he openly wept discussing the issue in a 2020 interview. As a state legislator, he pushed multiple abortion bans with no exceptions for rape or incest. In Congress, he's cosponsored a nationwide abortion ban five separate times, legislation that would jeopardize Arizonans' access to IVF and contraception.

That’s all for Copper State Chaos this week. Biggs can try to run from his record, but he can't hide. Copper State War Room will keep the receipts. Thanks for reading – we’ll be back next week to keep tabs on the chaos. Have a great weekend!

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