Hobbs, Biggs spar as she declines to say whether she'll debate him

But the Democratic incumbent won't commit to debating her potential Republican election foe on the issues.

The taco talk started with a phone interview Biggs did from Washington last week with James T. Harris, host of The Conservative Circus.

Biggs, a member of Congress, said the conversation was about political events. But then came a different question: Would he eat a taco from a food truck on camera?

"No, I don't think so,'' Biggs responded. "I have a problem eating tacos, brother. Half of it ends up down my shirt.''

On Monday, Hobbs posted a video on X of her listening to part of the exchange.

"What?'' the governor said as she listened to what Biggs had said. She then proceeded to take a bite of a taco on camera.

That was apparently meant to troll Biggs, whom the governor has said supports tariffs that are hurting the owners of taco trucks, among others. But the posting led to a question for Hobbs when she spoke with reporters Wednesday after an event: If she's willing to take on Biggs on how he eats a taco, is she willing to do a televised face-off with Biggs on issues?

"Andy Biggs won't commit to accepting the results of the election,'' Hobbs shot back. "Why don't you ask him that?''

We did.

"Of course, I will accept the results of the election,'' he told Capitol Media Services. "And I hope that means she's going to debate me now.''

That willingness is a departure of sorts for Biggs who, while accepting the results of his own multiple elections for the legislature and Congress, was among the leading deniers of the 2020 results which saw Donald Trump lose his reelection bid. He tried to convince state House Speaker Rusty Bower there was fraud in the Arizona election, and, as a member of the U.S. House, voted on Jan. 6, 2021 to overturn the results nationally.

But Biggs also told Capitol Media Services one reason he believes this election will be fair is because Republican Justin Heap, the choice of the Arizona Freedom Caucus, is now the Maricopa County recorder.

Hobbs has a record of lack of willingness to go head-to-head with campaign opponents. In 2022, as secretary of state in her first bid for governor, she refused to debate former Nogales Mayor Marco Lopez in the Democratic primary.

Hobbs then refused to share a stage with GOP nominee Kari Lake.

In that case, Nicole DeMont, Hobbs' campaign manager, charged that Lake, who used her GOP primary debate to decry a "corrupt, stolen election'' in 2020, would turn the planned event into "constant interruptions, pointless distractions, and childish name-calling.''

Now, four years later, with the benefit of incumbency — and donations that Hobbs' campaign said in January totaled $15 million — Hobbs said Wednesday: "It is really early to talk about debates."

"That's far away,'' she said of the November election. "Andy Biggs has a primary to win first. So we'll get there when we get there.''

Biggs is facing off against fellow Republican David Schweikert, who is also a member of Congress.

Hobbs sidestepped a question of whether she will debate whoever wins the GOP primary.

Her campaign communications chief Michael Beyer provided no definite answer when asked whether, given Biggs' assurance he will accept the election results, Hobbs is now willing to agree to a debate.

"As the governor said, it is far too early to be talking about debates,'' Beyer said. He said Biggs "might want to focus on getting through his messy and chaotic primary first.''