Trump-Backed Republicans Score Major Wins in Arizona Primaries
Trump-Backed Republicans Score Major Wins in Arizona Primaries
President Donald Trump’s influence over Arizona’s Republican Party was on full display Tuesday as a slate of candidates backed by the president secured decisive victories in the state’s GOP primaries.
The results give Republicans a strong starting point heading into the November midterm elections, with the party looking to reclaim the Arizona governor’s mansion and defend several key congressional seats.
Andy Biggs Wins GOP Governor Nomination
U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs easily captured the Republican nomination for governor, defeating fellow Republican Rep. David Schweikert and other contenders.
Biggs, a longtime conservative and former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, will now face Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in what is expected to be one of Arizona’s most closely watched races.
Hobbs secured the Democratic nomination without opposition.
Trump had previously praised both Biggs and other potential contenders before Biggs officially entered the race. At a Phoenix rally, Trump described Biggs as a strong candidate and said he would make a “great governor.”
Biggs campaigned on lowering taxes, strengthening border security, reducing government regulations and restoring law and order.
His victory further strengthens Trump’s influence over Arizona’s Republican electorate and gives the GOP a high-profile candidate for its effort to take back the governor’s office.
Feely Wins Competitive Congressional Primary
Trump-backed former Arizona Cardinals kicker and sports analyst Jay Feely won the Republican nomination in the open 1st Congressional District.
The seat became open after Schweikert entered the governor’s race.
Feely will face Democratic candidate Amish Shah in November in a competitive district covering parts of Scottsdale and northeastern Maricopa County.
Trump endorsed Feely as an “America First” candidate and urged Republican voters to support him during the primary campaign.
Feely has focused his campaign on border security, economic growth and policies aimed at supporting Arizona families.
Mark Lamb Takes the 5th District
Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb also secured a Republican primary victory in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, the heavily Republican seat being vacated by Biggs.
Trump strongly backed Lamb, calling him a “MAGA Warrior” and giving him his full endorsement.
Lamb campaigned on tougher border enforcement, support for law enforcement and veterans, lower taxes, fewer regulations and expanded American energy production.
His victory gives Trump another ally positioned to enter Congress from a reliably Republican district.
Ciscomani Advances in the 6th District
In the 6th Congressional District, Trump-endorsed incumbent Rep. Juan Ciscomani advanced without facing a primary challenger.
Ciscomani remains one of the Republicans defending a competitive congressional seat as the party prepares for a difficult midterm election environment.
Trump also endorsed other Arizona Republicans, including Reps. Eli Crane, Paul Gosar and Abe Hamadeh, reinforcing the broader alignment between the state GOP and the president’s political agenda.
Democrats Secure Their Nominations
On the Democratic side, Gov. Katie Hobbs easily secured her party’s nomination.
In the House races, Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton defeated a progressive challenger in the 4th Congressional District, avoiding what could have been a significant primary upset.
The results leave both parties preparing for a series of competitive general-election contests in November.
Arizona Becomes a Major Midterm Battleground
Tuesday’s results highlight Arizona’s importance heading into the 2026 midterms.
Republicans are hoping that strong support for Trump-aligned candidates will help them regain the governor’s office and maintain or expand their presence in Congress.
For Democrats, defending the governor’s mansion and several competitive congressional districts will be critical.
The upcoming Biggs-Hobbs matchup is expected to attract significant national attention, particularly because Arizona remains one of the country’s most closely watched battleground states.
For Trump and his allies, the Arizona primaries represent an important early test of the president’s influence over the Republican Party.
With November approaching, the primary victories have given Republicans a unified slate of candidates campaigning around border security, lower taxes, economic growth, limited government and other core conservative priorities.
The real test, however, comes next: whether Trump-backed Republicans can turn those primary victories into wins across Arizona in the November midterms.
Nearly 150,000 California Mail Ballots Rejected In Primary
California election officials are examining why nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the state’s June primary, with late-arriving ballots accounting for most of the increase.
The higher rejection rate comes despite years of election law changes designed to make voting more accessible and ensure more ballots are ultimately counted.
According to data compiled by the California Secretary of State’s office, 148,241 mail-in ballots were rejected during the June primary, representing 1.73% of all mail ballots returned.
That marks an increase from the 2024 primary, when 108,982 ballots were rejected, or 1.56% of all mail ballots cast.
The largest reason for rejection was ballots arriving too late to qualify under California law.
State data shows that 93,479 ballots were rejected because they failed to meet the state’s deadline requirements.
California allows mail ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day, provided they are postmarked on or before Election Day.
Voting experts believe many of the rejected ballots received postmarks dated after Election Day, making them ineligible to be counted even if they arrived within the seven-day grace period.
Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said the timing of postal processing appears to be a significant concern.
“Ballots rejected due to lateness are caused primarily to being postmarked too late to count, not because they arrived too late to count,” Alexander said.
Election experts have questioned whether recent operational changes within the U.S. Postal Service may be contributing to delayed postmarks.
Earlier this year, a group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators wrote to the Postal Service expressing concern that mail-processing changes could affect ballot handling during federal elections.
Updated Postal Service procedures mean postmarks may reflect when mail is processed at regional facilities rather than when it first enters the mail system.
Because processing centers have been consolidated in some areas, election officials have warned that postmark timing could be affected.
Before the June primary, California election officials encouraged voters to mail ballots as early as possible because of potential postal delays.
The June election also featured a highly competitive race for governor, which some experts believe encouraged many voters to wait until the final days before casting ballots.
In addition to late-arriving ballots, approximately 44,000 ballots were rejected because election officials determined the voter’s signature did not match the signature on file.
Another 8,300 ballots were rejected because the return envelope did not contain a signature.
State records also show that 743 ballots were rejected because those voters had already cast another ballot.
Other rejected ballots involved missing ballots inside return envelopes or multiple ballots submitted in a single envelope.
The highest rejection rate in the state occurred in Tulare County, where 3.52% of returned mail ballots were rejected.
Alpine County and Merced County followed closely, each recording rejection rates of 3.36%.
California has frequently faced criticism for taking weeks to complete vote counting after major elections, largely because state law permits ballots meeting certain requirements to continue arriving after Election Day.
Following the June primary, President Donald Trump again criticized California’s election system, while the Department of Justice opened an investigation into election administration in Los Angeles County.
Election experts emphasize that the increase in rejected ballots should not be interpreted as evidence of widespread voter fraud.
A 2025 report by the Brookings Institution found documented cases of mail ballot fraud remained extremely rare, estimating roughly four cases for every 10 million mail ballots cast, The Associated Press reported.
State officials have not identified evidence of widespread fraud connected to the June primary, but the increase in rejected ballots is expected to receive additional scrutiny as election administrators evaluate whether changes in postal operations, voter behavior or election procedures contributed to the higher rejection rate.
