GOP ad war kicks off in heated battleground state primary: 'We've barely just begun'
EXCLUSIVE: The campaign advertising war has already kicked off in the Arizona Republican gubernatorial primary – over a year away from the August 2026 election.
Turning Point PAC announced on Tuesday that they're launching a $500,000 media buy across platforms in support of Rep. Andy Biggs on "strategic cable, over-the-top, radio, and direct-to-voter placements" targeting Arizona voters. The ads will begin Tuesday and will air for the next 3.5 weeks. The ads will air on Fox News' local designated market area slots, conservative talk radio and streaming services in addition to targeted digital ads.
"Andy Biggs was the best Senate President Arizona has had in decades and he has been President Trump's most reliable friend in Congress. He is Trump-endorsed, Charlie Kirk endorsed, and Turning Point Action endorsed," Tyler Bowyer, COO of Turning Point Action and Turning Point PAC, said in a statement on Wednesday.
"His campaign momentum is already building at an incredible clip and we've barely just begun. The media buy combined with Biggs's impressive earned media exposure shows how enthusiastic the grassroots is to make Andy Biggs the next governor of Arizona," he added.
Trump Backs Republican Rivals In Arizona Governor's Race After Rep. Biggs Enters Contest: 'I Had A Problem'
The effort's announcement comes as the group held a rally in support of Biggs over the weekend in the Phoenix area.
Read On The Fox News App
"To see a room packed with thousands of Biggs supporters this far out from the primary was truly historic, and it's proof of the grassroots energy that is already gathering behind his campaign," TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk said in a statement. The organization is headquartered in Arizona.
"There isn't a world in which voters will not be aware of Andy Biggs being on the ballot, and the more who find out, the more his double-digit lead over all other competitors will grow. Andy Biggs is ready to bring a President Trump and Ron DeSantis level of leadership and competency to governing Arizona, and Turning Point is proud to get behind his campaign," Kirk continued.
Conservative Group Debuts Major Ad Buy In Key Senators' States As 'Soft Appeal' For Hegseth, Gabbard, Patel
In the primary, Biggs is running against Karrin Taylor Robson, a businesswoman and former Arizona Board of Regents member who sought the nomination in 2022 but lost to Kari Lake. A Taylor Robson ally said that she has been spending that amount of money weekly "talking to voters across all platforms." Her campaign recently touted a "multi-million dollar" ad buy with a commercial touting Trump's endorsement in April.
"I'm proud and honored that President Trump has reaffirmed his endorsement of our campaign," Taylor Robson said in a statement at the time. "It's time that we take our message of America and Arizona First leadership to voters across Arizona. Katie Hobbs has been a disaster and has tried to stand in President Trump's way. As Governor, I will work with President Trump to build a stronger border, a stronger economy, and a stronger and safer Arizona."
The Taylor Robson ally added that Turning Point's decision to spend on advertisements this early affirms that it's a competitive primary race.
Rep. Andy Biggs Eyes Run For Arizona Governor, Says He Understands 'What The State Needs To Thrive'
President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that he is backing both Biggs and Taylor Robson for governor, as whoever wins the primary will go up against Gov. Katie Hobbs in what's expected to be a highly competitive general election.
"I like Karrin Taylor Robson of Arizona a lot, and when she asked me to Endorse her, with nobody else running, I Endorsed her, and was happy to do so," Trump said in a Truth Social post in April.
"When Andy Biggs decided to run for Governor, quite unexpectedly, I had a problem — Two fantastic candidates, two terrific people, two wonderful champions, and it is therefore my Great Honor TO GIVE MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT TO BOTH. Either one will never let you down. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" the president added.
The advertising push this early is a testament to the Grand Canyon State's competitiveness, as it was one of the most widely watched swing states in November, which Trump ended up sweeping. Cook Political Report currently ranks the governor's race as a toss-up.Original article source: GOP ad war kicks off in heated battleground state primary: 'We've barely just begun'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
7 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Trump, Musk's Public Feud
The Pulse with Francine Lacqua Elon Musk signaled he would move to cool tensions with US President Donald Trump, after differences between the two exploded Thursday into an all-out public feud. Earlier in the day, Musk called for Trump's impeachment and insinuated he was withholding the release of files related to disgraced New York financier Jeffrey Epstein because of his own presence in them. Trump, in turn, proposed cutting off the billionaire's government contracts, following his onetime adviser's repeated exhortations for Republicans to vote against the president's signature tax legislation. Musk's olive branch came after Tesla Inc. shares tanked 14% and his personal wealth dropped by $34 billion. Today's guests: Emmanuel Cau, Barclays European Equity Strategy Head, Gregory Peters, PGIM Fixed Income Co-CIO, Maria Demertzis, The Conference Board Economy, Strategy & Finance Center Europe Lead. (Source: Bloomberg)
Bloomberg
7 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Bessent Looks to Revamp Currency Monitoring After Damage Done
I'm Chris Anstey, an economics editor in Boston. Today we're looking at the US Treasury's semiannual foreign-exchange report. Send us feedback and tips to ecodaily@ And if you aren't yet signed up to receive this newsletter, you can do so here. The first US Treasury semiannual assessment of American trading partners' exchange-rate policies since Trump returned to the White House read, in substance, much the same as the last one under President Joe Biden.
Travel Weekly
7 minutes ago
- Travel Weekly
The impact of Trump's tariffs on aviation is up for debate
NEW DELHI, India -- Aviation leaders at IATA's Annual General Meeting presented a divided front on the potential impact of President Trump's tariffs on the aviation sector. While some members warn that the tariffs could disrupt global supply chains and increase operational costs, others believe the industry can adapt without significant damage. IATA director general Willie Walsh said that if tariffs stay relatively modest, like the 10% baseline tariffs the U.S. currently has in effect for imports, their impact on consumer demand will be minimal. In some previous periods of high tariffs, Walsh said, the airline industry grew significantly. "Industries adapt. People adapt," he said. His confidence wasn't fully shared by the trade group's chief economist, Marie Owens Thomsen, who said that increases in tariffs and trade barriers will have a long-term downward impact on global flight demand. U.S. tariffs are currently at their highest level since the 1930s. "Tariffs are a tax, and anything that you tax will shrink," she said. Cirium analysts also sounded an alarm in a report produced ahead of the IATA meeting. "While it is too early to judge any likely impact of tariffs on the commercial aviation sector, they pose a risk to demand and to supply," the analysis reads. The most immediate impact could be on aircraft production costs, since suppliers Airbus, Boeing and others source parts for any particular plane from all over the world. "The reality is that the supply chain for aircraft production is extremely complicated, globally distributed and is even more directly impacted by tariffs, or concerns about them, than air travel demand," said Vik Krishnan, an aviation-focused partner for the consulting firm McKinsey. The sheer volume of parts on commercial aircraft are a key complication. For example, an Airbus A320 has 340,000 parts. And components for a single plane, said Krishnan, are assembled in a number of countries. Today's uncertainty around tariffs, he said, has a real impact on aircraft manufacturers. Walsh called for aircraft and engine parts to be exempted from all global tariffs. He also said airlines would resist cost increases for aircraft unless suppliers can demonstrate justification. "We don't want to see any of the manufacturers, any of the suppliers, using tariffs as an excuse or an opportunity to increase their prices to the industry," he said. Airlines still on track for a good year Despite those concerns, IATA's latest forecast indicates that global financial uncertainty will have only a mild impact on 2025 airline performance, mostly due to lower fuel costs. The trade group projects global airline revenues of $979 billion this year, down from its forecast in December that the industry would realize revenue of $1 trillion for the first time. But revenue reductions will be almost entirely offset by lower-than-projected costs for fuel. IATA now expects a global fuel bill of $236 billion for airlines in 2025, with average jet fuel prices of $86 per barrel. That compares to an average per-barrel cost of $99 in 2024 and industrywide fuel costs of $261 billion. Overall, IATA now projects 2025 industry net profits of $36 billion, only slightly down from its December projection of $36.6 billion. IATA's projection assumes global GDP will grow 2.5% in 2025, down from 3.3% growth last year. IATA projects U.S. GDP to grow 1.5%, down from 2.8% in 2024. IATA does not expect a global recession, in part because of the positive macro impact of cheap fuel and because the Trump tariffs only impact the manufacturing sector and not the servicing sector, which represents more than half of the global economy. Even in the transatlantic market, where flight data company Cirium showed that U.S. arrivals dropped by more than 10% year over year in the first quarter, Walsh remains modestly bullish. Forward bookings look fine in the months to come across the Atlantic, he said, and two-way traffic outperformed 2024 by 2.4% in April. "I suspect when we do look back on 2025," Walsh said, "transatlantic traffic will be slightly better than 2024."
