Sept. 30 (UPI) — Republican Rep. David Schweikert on Tuesday announced his candidacy to become Arizona’s next governor after serving in the House of Representatives since 2010.
Schweikert, 63, will challenge Rep. Andy Biggs and attorney Karrin Taylor Robson for the GOP nomination ahead of Arizona’s Nov. 3, 2026, gubernatorial election.
“We’re going to try to actually demonstrate to voters what a conservative agenda looks like,” Schweikert told an interviewer as reported by The New York Times.
“I don’t believe there’s anyone in the Southwest in the last 25 years who’s run as many competitive races as I have and yet not given an inch on their conservatism,” he added.
Schweikert announced his candidacy in a series of local interviews, during which he cited dysfunction in Washington, including an inability to pass a Fiscal Year 2026 budget bill, according to NBC News.
He said Arizona is poised to become more prosperous and could see at least a decade of wage growth for its working-class residents.
During his tenure in the House of Representatives, Schweikert fended off a strong challenge from former Rep. Ben Quayle, son of former Vice President Dan Quayle, following redistricting in Arizona for 2012.
He also withstood a 2019 ethics complaint that accused him of illegally using office funds and accepting unlawful campaign contributions but lacked evidence.
Schweikert said the complaint repeated old accusations that were baseless.
Schweikert’s House district includes Scottsdale and suburban areas near Phoenix, and vacating the seat creates an opportunity for the Democratic Party to secure an additional House seat.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is a Democrat and has said she intends to seek re-election.