Biggs Makes Yuma a Priority in Arizona Governor Campaign, Pitches Water Rights and State Power

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) visited Yuma on Tuesday as he pushes his bid for Arizona governor, telling voters in the agricultural heartland that the region is essential to winning the statehouse.

The congressman spoke at a rally hosted by the Yuma County Republican Party, framing his campaign around water rights, federalism, and a sharp critique of Gov. Katie Hobbs's administration.

Yuma as a governor's key

Biggs told the crowd that Yuma's economic and agricultural weight makes it a decisive factor in any statewide race.

"I try to understand the issues that are happening down here, and Yuma will be, you know, just a priority for us. I mean, it's an important economic area, important food security area," Biggs said, according to KYMA.

He positioned Yuma not just as a campaign stop but as a policy center. He said his administration would focus on securing Arizona's water rights and pressing the Bureau of Reclamation for federal drought mitigation funds.

"I'm here trying to elevate not just my candidacy, but also to elevate Yuma's importance to this administration, the Trump Administration, but particularly the Bureau of Reclamation, so we get a better deal, a fairer deal with regard to water," Biggs said.

Attacking Hobbs' record

Biggs used the rally to challenge the current administration's performance. He claimed Arizona fell from a top-five state in job growth and affordability to the bottom five under Gov. Hobbs.

"We've seen over the last four years, under this administration, I'm talking about Katie Hobbs' administration, we've gone from being a top five in job growth again, from the top five in affordability, and we're now in the bottom five in both. And this is the type of thing I think we need to acknowledge," he said.

Biggs did not cite specific data to support those rankings during the event.

Federalism and state power

A central theme of Biggs' remarks was his call for stronger state authority as a check on federal government power. He argued that Arizona should operate as a "true federalist system" where states retain more control.

"We need some governors who know how the system works, but we also know how the state system works so we can begin reverting back to what we used to be a true federalist system, where the states actually are the ones that put a check on the federal government, and we don't get owned by the federal government," Biggs said.

He also said he wants to work across party lines at both the state and federal levels.

The race so far

Biggs is one of the leading contenders in the Republican primary for governor. A May 20 poll showed him trailing Rep. David Schweikert in the GOP field, though both face an uphill challenge against Gov. Hobbs, who leads both candidates in recent polling.

The Arizona primary election is scheduled for July 2026. Candidates are ramping up visits to rural counties like Yuma, where agricultural issues and water policy dominate voter concerns.