President  immense clout over the GOP and the power of his endorsements in Republican nomination races face their latest test Tuesday, as Arizona holds primary elections.
Trump’s endorsements in a handful of key races, including in a top swing congressional district, could impact the for the House majority and control of governors’ offices.
Trump is backing Rep. Andy Biggs, a former House Freedom Caucus chairman, for the GOP gubernatorial nomination and the chance to challenge Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in November.
Biggs, who is also backed by the political wing of the conservative powerhouse Turning Point USA, is considered the frontrunner in a race that also includes longtime Republican Rep. David Schweikert. Also on the ballot are concrete pumping contractor Scott Neely, who’s making his second straight run for governor, and business owner Ken Miceli.
The winner will face off in the general election with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, a former who narrowly defeated then-GOP nominee Kari Lake four years ago. Hobbs was unopposed for re-nomination.
Down-ballot, the statewide race for the Republican attorney general nomination has become combustible as state Senate President Warren Petersen and military attorney Rodney Glassman have traded fire. The winner will challenge Democratic incumbent Kris Mayes in the general election.
In the race to succeed Schweikert in Arizona’s 1st which is anchored in the northeastern Phoenix suburbs, Trump is backing former Arizona Cardinals professional football player and former CBS Sports NFL analyst Jay Feely.
Former state lawmaker Joseph Chaplik and businessman John Trobough are also running for the GOP nomination in the key swing district.
Former TV anchor Marlene Galán-Woods and former state Rep. Amish Shah are facing off in a rematch for the Democratic congressional nomination. Shah, an emergency room physician, won the 2024 faceoff.
Galán-Woods, a former Republican, has the backing of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which has big bucks to support her, as well as top Democrats Sen. Mark Kelly and former Gov. Janet Napolitano.
Rick McCartney, president and CEO of InMedia Company, and Jonathan Treble, founder of WithMe, are also on the ballot.
The midterm race in Arizona’s 1st District is one of two or three dozen across the country that will determine whether holds onto its razor-thin House majority.
In the race to replace Biggs in Arizona’s 5th District, which is located in the southeastern Phoenix suburbs, including parts of Mesa, Trump is backing former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who is facing off with construction contractor Daniel Keenan for the GOP nomination.
Keenan has made the sexual misconduct and abuse-of-power allegations against Lamb a key part of his campaign. The Pinal County attorney last month cleared Lamb of criminal wrongdoing as it closed its investigation. And Trump, despite the controversy, reaffirmed his endorsement of Lamb earlier this month.
The winner of the Republican primary will be considered the clear favorite to succeed Biggs in the solidly red district.
The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries this spring and summer, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Kentucky and Texas, as well as the Louisiana primary.
But Trump’s endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was snapped in early June when his last-minute endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory.
Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA â the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump’s Health Secretary . â and Turning P
