One GOP candidate for Arizona governor vastly trails in fundraising

But his campaign manager, Chris Baker, said that was always the intent. He said Schweikert, having gotten in the race after other contenders, and being not very well known outside of his own congressional district, has to spend money as fast as it comes in.

Schweikert faces fellow U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs — who is sitting on more than $1.1 million — in the GOP gubernatorial primary race.

On top of that million-plus, Biggs also has the benefit of more than $483,000 in outside spending on his behalf, including almost $460,000 by Turning Point.

Meanwhile, as Baker said, Schweikert's expenditures are matching his donations.

In the last quarter, he spent almost $410,000 even though he took in about $219,000. One reason he could do that is he was able to transfer $572,000 that was left over from his congressional races. Those dollars are now gone. Schweikert also gave his campaign $99,000 to jump-start it.

Baker, however, said additional money has come in since the reporting period ended March 31, though he would not provide specifics.

"We're going to play to win,'' he said.

'That's pretty bleak'

But the decision to burn through the money as fast as possible, and leave little in the bank, has left some political observers wondering if Schweikert, who is trailing Biggs in recent polls, has a chance to catch up.

"That's pretty bleak,'' said veteran campaign consultant Chuck Coughlin of Schweikert's financial position. "That's not where you want to be going into a competitive primary where you've got to have some cash on hand to get your people out and get your message out.''

Consultant Barrett Marson was even more downbeat about what the new numbers mean.

"Campaigns run on money,'' he said. "And the Schweikert campaign is on fumes.''

But Stan Barnes, a former state lawmaker who now advises politicians, said that doesn't mean Schweikert should be counted out of the race, even though early voting for the July 21 primary begins in two months.

"The guy's a street fighter,'' Barnes said. "He's one of the toughest campaigners I've ever seen.''

Schweikert also has a long record of being able to win elections, going back to becoming a state legislator in 1990. He also was the Maricopa County treasurer before going to the U.S. House after the 2010 election, where, based on his ability to win, he has become the senior member of the state's congressional delegation.

And that has brought other benefits.

"He has a giant contact list,'' Barnes said. "I doubt that he's ready to do anything besides get on the phone and raise money.''

That money is crucial, he said. "He has to communicate with voters,'' Barnes said, given that this is Schewikert's first statewide race. "That's what the money's for." But he added that having that little in the bank "is not a death sentence.''

Schweikert, aside from his long experience as an elected official, has other things going for him.

He has developed a reputation as something of an expert in Congress on finance. And Schewikert chairs the Joint Economic Committee, which researches and reports on the U.S. economy and produces reports and advises Congress on economic policy issues.

All that shows up in social media posts where, complete with graphs and charts, he discusses the national debt.

But Marson said that may not matter in a Republican gubernatorial primary.

"In this GOP, does anyone really care about the finer points of tax policy, of which David is an expert?'' he asked.

"Who cares about that,'' Marson said. "We want red meat.''

And the person who can deliver that "red meat,'' said Marson, is Biggs, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump.

Hobbs' campaign has millions

Whoever wins the primary will face off in the general election against Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who, according to new reports, has more than $7.1 million in her reelection account.

There's also another $1.7 million in the separate Copper State Values account being operated by the same people who run Hobbs' campaign fund. That political action committee, which has the advantage of being able to take corporate money, has engaged in regular attacks on both GOP contenders.

Marson said there is a benefit to Biggs in having Schweikert in the race. He said it forces Biggs to focus on the things that, assuming he is the nominee, he will have to face in a head-to-head with Hobbs.

Consider, he said, Schweikert's attacks on Biggs.

Most notably, Schweikert used some of the $410,000 he spent in the last three months on campaign mailers accusing Biggs of associating with white supremacist and antisemitic groups.

The Biggs campaign responded by calling it "a desperate tactic by our opponent.'' And the move was condemned by the Maricopa County Republican Committee, which called the accusations "false and lazy'' and said they "represent desperate Democrat-style politics that substitute character smears for honest debate over policy and governance.''

Schweikert did not back down.

How all this could help Biggs, said Marson, is that any attacks by Schweikert are "things Katie Hobbs is going to bring up'' in the general election.

"And this way he can hone his answers, he can sort of get used to the attacks and practice how to defend,'' Marson said.

Biggs, for his part, is operating as if he already is the GOP nominee for governor. Drew Sexton, his campaign manager, said the congressman is not worried about the incumbent governor's huge financial edge.

"She's going to need every dollar,'' he said, saying she has to justify to voters things like inheriting a budget surplus when she took office and turning it into a deficit.

That, however, doesn't tell the whole story.

While Republican Doug Ducey was governor, the Republican-controlled Legislature approved scrapping what had been "progressive'' income tax rates, with a top rate of 4.5%, in favor of a 2.5% flat rate. The effects of the change kicked in in 2023 when Hobbs took office.

Figures from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee say individual income tax revenues went from $7.5 billion in the 2021-22 tax year to $5.2 billion the following year and $4.8 billion the year after that. But that was at least partly offset by sales taxes, which went from $7.2 billion in the 2021-22 tax year to $8.1 billion in 2024-25.

Sexton said he's not concerned that Biggs, trailing Hobbs in fundraising, will lack the money to get his message out.

"Congressman Biggs is continuing to show fundraising growth every quarter he's been in this race,'' he said.

Other candidates

Hugh Lytle listed $804,000 cash on hand in his bid to become the No Labels nominee for governor. But that's what's left of $1 million he gave to his own campaign after expenses.

Terri Ann Hourihan, also seeking the No Labels nomination, lists a cash deficit of $5,900 after giving herself $25,000 but being outstripped by expenses.

Libertarian Barry Hess said he has collected no money but has $962 left over from a $1,000 donation he got back in 2018.

Green Party candidate Risa Lombardo lists no contributions or expenses.