In Arizona, the political landscape is heating up as Governor Katie Hobbs prepares for a reelection campaign where abortion rights are expected to take center stage. Having won the 2022 election on a platform that emphasized safeguarding abortion care, Hobbs now faces a Republican challenger with a contrasting stance.
Representative Andy Biggs, a staunch opponent of abortion, is anticipated to be Hobbs’ main rival. Throughout his two-decade career, Biggs has consistently voted to restrict abortion and has received endorsements from anti-abortion groups such as Turning Point Action and the Arizona Freedom Caucus.
Biggs’ dedication to his anti-abortion position was evident when he became emotional in a May 2020 interview while discussing the issue. “Each person is made in God’s image,” he expressed with emotion. “It is a gift from Him. Our obligation then is to protect life, particularly those who cannot protect themselves … That’s my witness and my testimony.”
In a more recent statement on X, Biggs asserted that “life begins in the womb” and emphasized the necessity for Congress to “protect the unborn and fight to ensure that Americans’ taxpayer dollars are never used to fund their slaughter” (source).
Biggs has persistently supported the Life at Conception Act, having co-sponsored it five times. This bill, if enacted, would effectively prohibit all abortions, challenge the legality of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and some contraceptive methods, and impose criminal penalties on doctors who perform abortions.
Planned Parenthood has criticized the bill, stating in 2024 that “Purporting that a fetus has the same rights as a child creates chaos in the law, undermines the rights of pregnant people, and can prevent people from building the families they want” (source).
The legislation would also nullify Proposition 139, which enshrined abortion rights in the Arizona constitution with 61% voter support. Governor Hobbs backed Proposition 139, contrasting Biggs’ opposition.
Biggs has also advocated for Born Alive legislation, which mandates medical care for babies surviving abortion attempts. Critics argue these laws aim more to intimidate abortion providers than address medical needs, as federal mandates already ensure life-saving care for newborns in such rare situations. In 2021, Biggs contended that Democratic resistance to this legislation revealed a “craven desire to kill the unborn and the newly born.”
Before his time in Congress, Biggs supported multiple legislative efforts in Arizona to implement a 20-week abortion ban, some of which did not allow exceptions for rape or incest.
On the other hand, Governor Hobbs has been an advocate for reproductive rights, supporting Proposition 139 and signing legislation to repeal Arizona’s 1864 abortion ban, which became enforceable after the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Her reelection effort has received backing from Reproductive Freedom for All, which praised her leadership in advancing reproductive freedom.
Biggs will face a challenge within his party for the gubernatorial nomination from Republican Rep. David Schweikert, another anti-abortion advocate, in the upcoming July 21 primary.
Polling data from Noble Predictive Insights in May suggested that Hobbs holds a four-point lead over Biggs in a potential electoral matchup.
