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Death blow for Turning Point USA as Charlie Kirk-backed Andy Biggs falls to Democrat in Arizona’s hot governor race
Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs won re-election in Arizona, defeating Republican Representative Andy Biggs. The result is a setback for Turning Point USA, which backed Biggs, and may test the group’s political influence following the death of its founder, Charlie Kirk.
The Associated Press called the race early Wednesday, with Hobbs on 55 per cent and 80 per cent of votes counted. Public polling had put her 5 to 6 points ahead; she spent about $17 million, while Biggs spent just over $5 million. The Democratic Governors Association contributed $14 million to Hobbs’s campaign, and Turning Point Action spent about $18.5 million supporting the race. Hobbs’s victory preserves Democratic control of Arizona’s governorship, despite the state voting for Donald Trump in 2024.
In short
- Katie Hobbs won re-election as Arizona governor.
- Andy Biggs had backing from Turning Point USA and Donald Trump.
- Hobbs led with 55 per cent when 80 per cent of votes were counted.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Hobbs’s win can be seen as a meaningful setback for Turning Point Action: despite spending about $18.5 million backing Biggs, the group did not help him overcome Hobbs’s polling lead or her campaign’s greater resources. The result suggests that Arizona voters may have prioritised the candidates and state-level issues over the influence of a prominent political organisation.
The case against
The result alone may not show that Turning Point Action’s influence has weakened: Hobbs entered the race with a 5-to-6-point polling advantage and substantially more campaign and party support, while Arizona’s presidential vote does not determine its choice of governor. Biggs’s defeat therefore may reflect the particular candidates, spending balance and electorate in this contest rather than a broader verdict on the group, especially as one election cannot establish the effects of its founder’s death.