PHOENIX — Andy Biggs appeared on stage during an October 6 Clean Elections debate, but his main opponent, incumbent Katie Hobbs, did not show up. Instead, Biggs debated No Labels candidate Teri Hourihan. The lieutenant governor candidates for Biggs and Hourihan also debated a day earlier.
Katie Hobbs made the announcement in July that she would not be debating Biggs.
“We respectfully decline debate invitations in this campaign because face-to-face engagement with Arizonans is more effective than a stage designed for short soundbites and political theater,” Hobbs’ campaign told 12 News back in a statement.
The announcement did little to impact her polling, and she is now favored to win the Governor’s mansion next month.
As of September 15, Sabato’s Crystal Ball has rated the race as “Leans Democratic.” Cook Political Report rated the race as a tossup in March but also shifted the race to “Leans Democratic” in July.
Most polls this year showed her leading. The Real Clear Politics polling average presently shows Hobbs with a more than eleven-point lead over Biggs. The online prediction market Polymarket also gives Hobbs an 85% chance of victory.
Nevertheless, Andy Biggs used the opportunity during the debate to make his case to voters.
Biggs spent most of his time attacking Hobbs, calling her failure to debate “disqualifying.” “Katie Hobbs… refuses to actually come out of her basement and debate with us,” he said during the debate.
Biggs also accused Hobbs of giving up most of Arizona’s rights to Colorado River water, while Hourihan suggested that Biggs was unwilling to acknowledge that Arizona even has a water crisis.
“He’s going to allow big business and corporations, including foreign, to come into Arizona and build, build, build, build away,” she said.
Hourihan also criticized Biggs on the issue of Colorado City’s police force—an issue for which Katie Hobbs’ campaign has also produced attack ads this year.
Biggs has been accused of killing a 2013 bill while he was Senate President that would have disbanded the Colorado City Marshal’s Office after it was accused of protecting leaders of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who were allegedly engaged in sexual crimes involving children.
While Biggs called the claim an “outrageous lie,” he defended letting the bill die, saying that police agencies had asked him to kill the bill because the language in it was too broad.
Hourihan also criticized Biggs for his role on January 6 where he supported President Trump’s plan to replace Arizona’s electors. When asked if he would support the results of this year’s election, however, Biggs said he would.
After the debate, Katie Hobbs’ campaign manager, Nicole DeMont, released a statement.
“Tonight, Andy Biggs shared a stage with a fellow long-shot candidate for a job he will never hold and still had no answer for his dangerous record of shielding child predators Warren Jeffs and Jeffrey Epstein, backing cost-hiking tariffs, and voting six times for the war in Iran while Arizona families pay the price,” the statement said. “Katie Hobbs will keep taking her message straight to Arizonans, working across the aisle to cut taxes, erase medical debt for nearly 700,000 people, secure the border, and protect our water.”
Arizona is one of 36 states having gubernatorial elections this year, and is one of five state governorships that Democrats are defending in states Donald Trump won in 2024.
As of the last June filing disclosure, Hobbs outspent Biggs by a factor of three, raising $9.8 million compared to Biggs’ $2.8 million.
Arizona is also holding its first election for lieutenant governor this year. Hobbs chose former Republican mayor of Mesa, John Giles, as her running mate.
“The first thing I looked for in a running mate is someone who shares that value of putting Arizonans ahead of partisan politics,” she said in a campaign ad announcing her choice.
Biggs picked former Republican State Senator Sine Kerr to join his ticket.
Andy Biggs is also running on water and taxes, as well as government accountability.
Candidate Risa Lombardo of the Green Party was also invited to debate but failed to attend.
Clean Elections has already hosted debates between the Republican and Democratic challengers for Secretary of State, Attorney General, and several other races for federal and state legislature. The debates can be viewed on their Youtube channel online.
