Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) is considering leaving his crucial House battleground seat to mount a run for governor.
A decision will come by the end of August, his campaign said. We scooped this news on Punchbowl News text alerts Monday evening.
“Congressman Schweikert has been asked to run for Governor by several prominent Arizona Republicans who are concerned with the current field of candidates,” Schweikert’s consultant Chris Baker said in a statement. “He is considering it, but has not made a final decision.”
Schweikert, first elected to the House during the GOP wave of 2010, represents a very competitive district anchored in Scottsdale and Phoenix. Both parties have spent millions of dollars fighting over this seat. Schweikert’s absence would deprive Republicans of a well-known incumbent in the pricey Phoenix media market.
And the field of Republicans looking to oust Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is already large. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and attorney Karrin Taylor Robson are running. Both have President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
One important thing to note: Trump has made it a priority to help Republicans hold the House in 2026. He’s successfully urged Reps. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) not to abandon their swing seats to run statewide. And the president could do the same here.
