U.S. Representative and Republican nominee for Arizona governor Andy Biggs speaks to the media during his primary election night watch party at Dillon Precision in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. July 21, 2026. REUTERS/Rebecca Noble
A new analysis suggests that the GOP should prepare "to get bitten again" after extremist candidates swept through the Arizona primaries.
In Arizona, candidates like former Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who helped President Donald Trump attempt to overturn the 2020 election, and Alexander Kolodin, a lawyer sanctioned by the state bar for his involvement in Trump's 2020 election scheme, won their races on Tuesday against more moderate Republicans. Ian Prasad Philbrick, a politics writer at Slate, argued in a new analysis of the race that Biggs and Kolodin represent a faction of the GOP that could cause the party to "fumble away" any real chance of victory in November.
"Geographically, Arizona is beautiful. Politically, it’s a little bewildering," Philbrick wrote. "The state, once a Republican stronghold associated with Barry Goldwater and John McCain, now has a more muddled image."
"GOP presidential candidates still win Arizona more often than not, and Republicans have controlled the Legislature for decades, proof that the party remains competitive all around this increasingly purple state," he added. "But in recent years, the GOP has fumbled away statewide races for governor, secretary of state, and U.S. Senate by nominating extreme candidates. And the events of last night suggest that Republicans may be about to get bitten again."
Philbrick noted that Trump celebrated the candidates' victories, which he branded as a "complete sweep" for MAGA.
He also warned that there is a lot at stake in the race if the extremist candidates successfully beat their Democratic opponents.
"And if November turns out to be a Democratic ripple rather than a wave, we could end up with election deniers overseeing the 2028 presidential race in a key swing state," Philbrick wrote.