Pro-Trump Election Deniers Secure Victories in Arizona Republican Primaries

In the Republican primary in the U.S. state of Arizona, numerous candidates who echo Donald Trump's claims of election fraud have won the choice of voters.

The U.S. daily The Washington Post reported on July 22 that Representative Andy Biggs won the Republican primary for the gubernatorial nomination in Arizona held on July 21 (local time).

In the election, Biggs recorded 73.4% of the vote in the Republican gubernatorial primary, easily defeating his rival, Representative David Schweikert, who received 14.7%.

As a result, Biggs will face incumbent Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs in the midterm elections this coming November.

Biggs is a member of the Freedom Caucus, a hardline faction within the party, and a pro-Trump MAGA (Make America Great Again) activist.

Notably, he is also a prominent figure who believes the results of the 2020 presidential election were rigged.

Alongside Biggs, several other candidates who believe in election fraud secured victories in this Republican primary.

Warren Petersen, a state senator chosen as the nominee for state attorney general, is a figure who raised suspicions of fraud in the 2020 presidential election and handed over the investigation results regarding Maricopa County to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) the following year.

Despite these claims, the investigation results at the time reaffirmed that former President Joe Biden was the winner in that county.

Alexander Kolodin, a state representative who became the nominee for secretary of state, has a history of being disciplined by his bar association after participating in lawsuits containing false claims about election fraud during his time as a lawyer.

Even after becoming a state representative, he has consistently sponsored bills to restrict mail-in voting and early voting.

In Arizona's 1st congressional district, Jay Feely, a former National Football League (NFL) player, became the Republican candidate for the House of Representatives.

Feely stated that he decided to run for office influenced by the assassination attempt against President Trump during his campaign in 2024, and President Trump has also shown support for Feely by calling him "my friend."

While loyalists backed by President Trump or believers in election fraud gained ground in the Republican Party, moderates achieved victory in the Democratic Party.

Four-term Democratic Representative Greg Stanton defeated Kai Newkirk, a newcomer from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) faction—a hardline progressive group within the Democrats—in the 4th congressional district to become the House candidate.

Recently, the wave of the democratic socialist faction has been fierce in primary elections across various parts of the U.S. such as Colorado, New York, and Maine, but Arizona Democratic voters sided with the incumbent lawmaker.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.