Copper State Chaos: What Goes Up Won’t Go Down, Missed Calls, and Very Tough Choices

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

With Andy Biggs and David Schweikert 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:

WHAT GOES UP… WON’T GO DOWN: Last week, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright argued that gas prices might not return to $3 or below until "next year," echoing President Trump’s own previous admission that fuel prices could remain high or “maybe a little bit higher” into 2027. High gas prices are a direct result of Andy Biggs and David Schweikert, who voted to keep gas prices climbing by backing the war in Iran. In the last two months alone, Phoenix gas prices increased by nearly $2 per gallon, while Arizona’s diesel prices hit an all-time high of $6.20 this month. Arizona’s Family reported that these rising costs could "spell doom" for the Republican Party in November, suggesting "it’s time for Republicans to panic." 

MISSED CALLS: Last week, Andy Biggs took the stage with Donald Trump at a rally in Phoenix, where he took a potshot at opponent David Schweikert. Biggs told the crowd a story about missing a late-night call that turned out to be Trump. When Biggs called back, Trump asked: “Who is this?” In a joke to the audience, Biggs pretended to respond: “David Schweikert?” – mocking that Schweikert did not attend despite the event being held in his district. While Biggs and Schweikert have engaged in back-and-forths on who speaks to Trump more often, the fact remains that they are both voting in DC to hurt Arizona. Both have stood united in backing the same cost-hiking agenda that is raising prices, cutting healthcare, and spiking premiums.

VERY TOUGH CHOICES: Arizona hospitals continue to speak up against the partisan budget law that Andy Biggs and David Schweikert voted for, which stripped away healthcare funding and tax credits, and directly caused 65,000 Arizonans 0 to lose their coverage. Premiums have surged 30 percent this year, and a report earlier this month found that eight Arizona hospitals are already facing heightened risk of closure or service reductions. Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association CEO Ann-Marie Alameddin warned of “very tough choices” that hospitals will face in terms of balancing their budgets. Despite these real-world consequences to their actions, Biggs said the partisan budget was a “good thing” and argued for “the more cut approach,” which would cause even more Arizonans to lose their healthcare and pay more. Schweikert took credit for co-authoring the partisan budget law, and called Arizonans who are worried about Medicaid cuts “bedwetters” and told them to “toughen up.” 

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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