Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) is running for governor of Arizona, forgoing a chance for reelection in a competitive GOP toss-up seat in 2026.

The congressman, who has represented Arizona’s 1st District since 2023 but has been in the House since 2010, will join a gubernatorial primary against fellow Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ). President Donald Trump has endorsed two candidates already in the Republican primary, Biggs and Karrin Taylor Robson, so Schweikert’s entrance will be a test of how influential Trump’s support can be in a competitive primary.

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Whoever wins the GOP race will go on to face Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ), who defeated Republican Kari Lake in the 2022 gubernatorial general election. Arizona became an epicenter for GOP challenges to election results that year, but the courts certified that Lake’s claims were unfounded.

Schweikert told Axios that he believes Washington is “unsavable.”

“I do believe Arizona is savable,” Schweikert said.

The six-term congressman told the outlet that he was skeptical Biggs or Robson could win against Hobbs, noting he has a track record of winning a purple district that can translate to results in a purple state.

Schweikert separately told the Washington Post he thinks Republican voters desire an “actual conservative … someone that’s not running on resentment and grievances.”

In 2022, Lake beat out a more centrist candidate in the primary only to lose to the Democratic candidate in the general election. But Trump won Arizona by more than 5 percentage points in 2024, so Hobbs’s governor’s mansion is viewed as a pick-up opportunity for Republicans in 2026.

MAJOR HOUSE REPUBLICAN PLAYERS HEAD FOR THE EXITS, LEAVING GAPS IN THE LOWER CHAMBER

Schweikert’s departure from the House is a blow to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), as congressional Republicans will now need to devote heavy resources to defend a swing seat and hold on to their razor-thin majority in the lower chamber.

So far, the House GOP lawmakers who have already left or plan to retire after this term are leaving behind solid red or likely red seats. Schweikert’s is the second toss-up race, listed by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, to become open, giving Democrats a chance to flip the seat without the presence of an incumbent. The first was Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who has expressed similar sentiments that the chaos of the House is factoring into his retirement.