Arizona Republicans crushed the party's establishment wing Tuesday, nominating Trump-backed candidates who challenged the 2020 election for governor and secretary of state — and the national press responded by slapping the winners with the "election denier" tag, a label designed to delegitimize voters before November.
The stakes are straightforward: Arizona is a battleground state where the governor and secretary of state hold real power over how elections are run. Republican primary voters picked Rep. Andy Biggs for governor and attorney Alexander Kolodin for secretary of state — both men who questioned the 2020 results. The establishment wanted Rep. David Schweikert, the "pragmatic, moderate" alternative, as NPR described him. Biggs beat him by roughly 60 points.
NPR and The New York Times framed the results around "election deniers" winning. The Times called Kolodin "an election denier aiming to become the state's top election official." NPR described Biggs as someone who "refused to certify the election results over Trump's unverified claims." Fox News and the New York Post led instead with Trump's influence and the rejection of a Democratic socialist challenger. The Boston Globe reached for "ultraconservative" and "far-right" as its preferred descriptors.
What the establishment press calls denial, Arizona Republicans call demanding accountability. Kolodin is an attorney who participated in lawsuits challenging 2020 results — using the court system, the very mechanism designed to resolve disputes. Biggs voted against certifying the election, a step Democrats themselves have taken in multiple presidential certifications without ever earning the "denier" label from the same outlets.
"Tonight's results show that Arizonans overwhelmingly believe in our vision and I'm grateful to have earned their support," Biggs said in a statement. "Our goal has always been to unite the Republican Party and we've done that as much as any nominee in recent memory."
Trump's other endorsees won across the board. Former NFL kicker Jay Feely took the competitive 1st Congressional District GOP primary over former state lawmaker Joseph Chaplik — a race the Globe noted turned ugly, with dueling cease-and-desist letters and attack websites. Feely, who says he was inspired to run by the 2024 assassination attempt on Trump, had originally planned to run in a safer district but switched at Trump's request to the open Scottsdale-area seat.
"Who can call [Trump] and who can get him to answer? That's me," Feely said during a primary debate. "He will take my call and he will listen. I have the ability to have the ear of the president."
In the solidly red 5th District, former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb won the GOP primary for Biggs' vacated seat by nearly 17 points over construction contractor Daniel Keenan, per the New York Post. Lamb's campaign faced allegations first reported by The Arizona Republic that he sent sexual messages to women outside his marriage; a spokesperson denied the claims as lies. Lamb built his political profile taking on cartel activity at the border — and voters didn't care about the press hit.
On the Democratic side, incumbent Rep. Greg Stanton crushed progressive challenger Kai Newkirk by 30 points in the 4th District. Newkirk had attacked Stanton for being too supportive of Israel and corporations. Fox News noted Democrats "avoided a potentially damaging left-wing upset." The 1st District Democratic primary remained uncalled, with former state Rep. Amish Shah leading one-time journalist Marlene Galán-Woods by roughly 7 points.
Biggs now faces Gov. Katie Hobbs, who narrowly defeated Kari Lake in 2022. A RealClearPolitics average shows Biggs trailing by about 5 points. Cook Political Report shifted the race from toss-up to slight Democratic advantage after the primary.
The open question heading into November: will the media's "election denier" label stick with swing voters — or will Arizonans decide that candidates who fight for election integrity beat another round of establishment go-alongs?
