Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) is launching a bid to be his state’s governor, which will open up his House seat.

“Arizona is at a crossroads that will be decided by the outcome of next year’s race for governor,” Schweikert said in a statement provided to The Hill on Tuesday. “Arizonans will have the opportunity to decide if our future is one of economic growth and prosperity for all Arizonans, or a future where we become another California.”

“I’ve spent my career fighting for conservative pro-growth policies that strengthen the economy, promote job growth, and protect taxpayers, and that’s exactly what I intend to do as Arizona’s next governor,” he added.

The 2026 race for Schweikert’s House seat is currently considered a “toss-up” by Cook Political Report. The Arizona Republican also faced a tough race for his House seat last year, beating his Democratic opponent by 3.8 percentage points, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Other Republican candidates in the race to lead the Grand Canyon State include business owner Karrin Taylor Robson and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).

Arizona also has been a key swing state in recent elections; former President Biden won it in 2020, and President Trump won it last year.

The state held a special election in a safe blue district just last week, with Adelita Grijalva (D) winning the seat vacated by the death of her father, former Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D).

Sam Newton, communications director for the Democratic Governors Association, said in a statement Tuesday that, “Schweikert’s entrance into the Arizona governor’s race confirms that the GOP primary is only going to be even nastier, more extreme, and more expensive.”

“Schweikert has spent his time in Congress voting to gut Social Security and slash health care to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, supporting an extreme abortion ban, and pushing to overturn the 2020 election,” Newton added.

Filip Timotija contributed.

Updated at 3:31 p.m. EDT.