ROUNDUP: Maricopa County GOP Fuels Fresh Round of Schweikert-Biggs Attacks

The Maricopa County GOP stepped into the debate over which GOP gubernatorial candidate is more extreme, condemning David Schweikert for attacking Andy Biggs for associating with white supremacists and antisemites.

It all started with Schweikert’s campaign producing a flyer highlighting Biggs’ ties to white supremacist and antisemitic groups, which has consumed the GOP primary. 

Last month, Biggs invoked Confederate General Robert E. Lee on the campaign trail to defend himself from accusations of racism. Now, Biggs has doubled down in his response, defending the extremists and calling the attacks “personal smears against fellow Republicans.” 

This race is just getting uglier. Schweikert has emphasized that he’s not backing down and that these attacks are just an appetizer for what’s to come.

Read more below: 

Arizona’s Family: Phoenix-area GOP reignites controversy in Republican governor’s race

Dennis Welch

April 9, 2026

• A controversy that Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Andy Biggs hoped would fade has returned to the headlines after his own party stepped in.

• About a month ago, Biggs found himself the target of a political attack. His Republican opponent in the governor’s race, Rep. David Schweikert, accused him of palling around with racists and anti-Semites. Biggs denied it and moved on.

• But it was his own Republican Party that brought it back.

• Campaign flier sparks initial accusations

• The controversy started with a campaign flier where Schweikert accused Biggs of backing white supremacists and anti-semites. Then, leaked audio surfaced of Biggs comparing himself to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

• “I’ll hold up my conservative credentials to anyone but if you really intend to win an election in Arizona, I’m not sure you go around comparing yourself to a Confederate general,” Schweikert said at the time.

• The story appeared to die down. But then the Maricopa County Republican Committee stepped in. Its executive board voted to condemn the attack. They called Schweikert’s accusation “false and lazy” and said it was in line with “Democrat-style politics.”

Arizona Republic: Maricopa County GOP condemns Schweikert ads attacking Biggs

Stacey Barchenger

April 8, 2026

• Maricopa County Republican Committee leadership has condemned attack ads from Rep. David Schweikert's gubernatorial campaign that tie his GOP opponent Andy Biggs to antisemitic and white supremacist ideologies.

  
  

• The condemnation was approved by the county party's Executive Guidance Committee with a 17-12 vote.

  
  

• "The Maricopa County Republican executive committee is free to condemn us all they want, but it doesn't change the fact that right is right, and Congressman Schweikert will stand up and call out that kind of behavior from his opponent," said Chris Baker, Schweikert's campaign adviser. "He will not back down from doing that."

  
  

• "This election should not be about launching ridiculous personal smears against fellow Republicans," [Biggs’ campaign spokesman Drew] Sexton said.

  
  

• The flier sent by Schweikert's campaign highlighted Biggs' actions and appearances at events hosted by or affiliated with known antisemitic and white nationalist groups and speakers.

  
  

• Baker has previously said that flier, which first surfaced in March, was just an appetizer for what is to come, and the longtime congressman plans to soon use Biggs' far-right record against him ahead of the July 21 primary election.

  
  

• The March flier noted that Biggs was among about two dozen Republicans who refused to sign a pledge disavowing “white nationalism and white supremacy” in 2023, and highlighted Biggs' support of Texas congressional candidate Brandon Herrera. Herrera, a gun shop owner and YouTuber, was condemned in his 2024 campaign by Jewish political groups for videos joking about the Holocaust and boasting about owning a copy of Adolf Hitler's manifesto, "Mein Kampf."

  
  

• One event on the flier was a Second Amendment rally held in 2024 in Phoenix and sponsored by College Republicans United, a student group that embraces white supremacy, and Arizona's chapter of the Proud Boys.

  
  

• CRU's website promotes texts that helped fuel the rise of anti-Jewish sentiment in the early 20th century, including a fabricated text that claims to document a Jewish plan to dominate the world. The Proud Boys' former leader, Enrique Tarrio, was convicted in 2023 for helping plan the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. President Donald Trump later ordered his release from prison.

  
  

• His accusations against Biggs were clouded last month after AZ Family reported someone on Schweikert's campaign had also reached out to College Republicans United about a speaking event.

KJZZ: Maricopa County GOP leaders condemn Schweikert attack on primary opponent Biggs

Camryn Sanchez

April 9, 2026

• Maricopa County Republican leaders condemned attack ads Republican Congressman David Schweikert issued against his gubernatorial primary opponent, fellow Congressman Andy Biggs.

• Schweikert’s campaign issued mailers this year accusing Biggs of ties to antisemitism and white supremacy.

• Specifically, Schweikert notes Biggs’ support for a talk show host named Stew Peters who has called for all Jewish people to be deported and called for a quote “final solution.”

• Schweikert also cited Biggs’ endorsement of Texas congressional candidate Brandon Herrera, who said in a podcast that he has a first-edition copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and frequently jokes about Nazis. Herrera also said he does not support fascism.

• “This election should not be about launching ridiculous personal smears against fellow Republicans,” [Biggs’ campaign spokesman Drew] Sexton added.

• But, Schweikert said he won’t stop calling Biggs out.

• “The Maricopa County Republican executive committee is free to condemn us all they want, but it doesn’t change the fact that right is right, and Congressman Schweikert will stand up and call out that kind of behavior from his opponent,” Schweikert’s campaign adviser Chris Baker said in a statement. “He will not back down from doing that.”

  
  

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