Andy Biggs Bio
Andrew Steven Biggs, known publicly as Andy Biggs, is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the U.S. representative for Arizona’s 5th congressional district since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he is a leading conservative voice in Congress, recognized nationally for chairing the House Freedom Caucus from 2019 to 2022. Before his time in Washington, he spent more than a decade in the Arizona State Legislature, including four years as president of the Arizona Senate.
Born in Tucson and raised in Gilbert, Biggs built a career rooted in Arizona politics, law, and education. He holds three academic degrees and has written about constitutional issues. In 2025, he announced a run for Governor of Arizona, setting the stage for the next chapter of his political career.
Early Life and Background
Andrew Steven Biggs was born on November 7, 1958, in Tucson, Arizona. He spent his formative years in the state and later identified Gilbert, Arizona, as his hometown, the same community he continues to call home today. His upbringing in Arizona shaped his interest in local politics, law, and public service.
As a young man, Biggs served a mission to Japan for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an experience that gave him fluency in the Japanese language and a broader view of the world. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Asian studies from Brigham Young University in 1982, followed by a Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona in 1984, and later a Master of Arts in political science from Arizona State University in 1999.
After completing his education, Biggs worked as a lawyer at a firm based in Hobbs, New Mexico, before relocating to Phoenix, where he served as a prosecutor. In 1993, he won ten million dollars in the American Family Publishers sweepstakes, an event that gained him brief national attention when he appeared in a television advertisement alongside Dick Clark and Ed McMahon.
Path to US Politics
Biggs entered Arizona politics in 2002 when he won a seat in the Arizona House of Representatives. His early legislative work focused on transportation, legal affairs, and conservative policy priorities. He served alongside Representative Eddie Farnsworth in District 30 and later District 22, steadily building a reputation as a disciplined lawmaker with a clear conservative philosophy.
In 2010, Biggs moved to the Arizona Senate, winning an unopposed race for District 22 after the incumbent departed. Two years later, redistricting placed him in District 12, where he again ran unopposed and won decisively. His rise through the Senate ranks reflected both his policy expertise and his ability to build durable support within the Republican caucus.
In 2013, Biggs was selected as president of the Arizona Senate, a position he held until 2017. As Senate president, he shaped the legislative agenda on fiscal and social issues and earned a reputation for blocking measures he viewed as expanding government. His leadership in the state legislature positioned him as one of the most influential conservatives in Arizona before his move to Congress.
Andy Biggs Career
Early Career (2002-2010)
Andy Biggs began his political career in the Arizona House of Representatives in 2002, winning a Republican primary in District 30 and securing a general election seat. He served continuously in the House for nearly a decade, representing Gilbert and the surrounding East Valley region. During this period, he developed a record focused on limited government, fiscal restraint, and traditional social values.
Throughout his House tenure, Biggs worked on transportation, legal reform, and state budget issues. He gained a reputation as a reliable conservative vote and built relationships with party leaders across the state. By the time he left the House in 2011, he had established a strong foundation for higher office within the Arizona Legislature.
Arizona Senate Leadership (2011-2017)
Biggs joined the Arizona Senate in 2011, representing District 22 and later District 12 after redistricting. He won each of his Senate races without opposition, demonstrating the strength of his standing among Republican primary voters. In 2013, he was elevated to the role of Senate president, becoming one of the most powerful figures in Arizona state government.
As Senate president, Biggs used his position to advance conservative priorities and block legislation he considered excessive. He also weighed in on national debates, including the question of an Article V constitutional convention, publishing a 2015 book titled The Con of the Con-Con that argued against the idea. His tenure as Senate president ended in 2017 when he successfully ran for Congress.
U.S. House Breakthrough (2017-Present)
In 2016, Biggs ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Arizona’s 5th congressional district to replace retiring Representative Matt Salmon. His Republican primary victory was one of the closest in recent Arizona history, decided by only 27 votes after an automatic recount. He then defeated Democratic nominee Talia Fuentes in the general election with 64.1 percent of the vote and took office in January 2017.
Within two years, Biggs had become a national figure in conservative politics. In September 2019, he replaced Representative Mark Meadows as chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of hardline conservative Republicans. He held that position until 2022 and helped shape the caucus’s confrontational approach to Democratic leadership and centrist Republicans.
Freedom Caucus and National Profile (2019-Present)
Under Biggs’s leadership, the Freedom Caucus became a central force in fights over government spending, immigration, and pandemic-era restrictions. He was a leading opponent of the four coronavirus relief packages passed in early 2020, calling the spending bloated and arguing that the cure was worse than the disease. He also drew national attention for his vocal challenges to the 2020 presidential election results.
Biggs was among 126 House Republicans who signed an amicus brief supporting the Texas v. Pennsylvania lawsuit that sought to overturn the 2020 election. He spoke at Stop the Steal rallies and objected to Arizona’s and Pennsylvania’s electoral votes on January 6, 2021. The House committee investigating the January 6 attack later subpoenaed him, and witnesses testified that he had asked Arizona House Speaker Russell Bowers to decertify Arizona’s electors. Biggs has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Biggs’s House career came during the 2023 Speaker of the House election, when he challenged Kevin McCarthy for the Republican nomination. McCarthy defeated him 188 to 31, but the resulting fight contributed to McCarthy’s historic ouster later that year. In October 2023, Biggs was one of eight Republicans who voted to remove McCarthy as Speaker, citing his handling of a temporary spending bill.
Biggs has also been a prolific author of legislation and public commentary on constitutional, fiscal, and social issues. He has voted against measures ranging from emergency pandemic aid to the National Defense Authorization Act, often positioning himself on the most conservative end of the Republican conference. In 2025, he announced a campaign for Governor of Arizona in the 2026 election, signaling a major new phase in his political career.
Andy Biggs Career Wins
Andy Biggs has compiled a long record of electoral victories across the Arizona House, Arizona Senate, U.S. House, and gubernatorial race. He has won multiple uncontested primaries, secured decisive general election margins, and represented Arizona’s 5th congressional district in Washington since 2017. His ability to win repeated Republican primaries reflects the deep loyalty of the East Valley conservative base.
Arizona Legislature Highlights
Biggs first won election to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2002 and served four terms before moving to the Senate in 2010. He won his Senate races in 2010 and 2012 without opposition and was chosen as Senate president in 2013. His most recent legislative victory came in 2016, when he captured the Republican nomination for Congress by a 27-vote margin after an automatic recount.
U.S. House Highlights
Since entering Congress in 2017, Biggs has represented Arizona’s 5th congressional district, which includes Gilbert, most of Chandler, part of Mesa, and all of Queen Creek. He has won reelection multiple times, consistently performing strongly in both the Republican primary and the general election. His tenure in the House has coincided with his rise to national prominence as chairman of the Freedom Caucus.
Other Wins and Achievements
Outside of traditional electoral politics, Biggs won ten million dollars in the American Family Publishers sweepstakes in 1993, an experience that briefly brought him national recognition. He has also published a book, The Con of the Con-Con, which detailed his opposition to an Article V constitutional convention. In 2018, he was the sole House member to receive a 100 percent rating from the Club for Growth, reflecting his consistent conservative voting record.
Andy Biggs Family
Family Background and Public Life
Andy Biggs was born and raised in Arizona and has long ties to the East Valley region. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a faith that shaped his decision to serve a mission in Japan during his youth. His brothers, William and Daniel Biggs, later publicly criticized his actions following the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, calling for his removal from office in a letter to The Arizona Republic.
Personal Life
Andy Biggs married Cindy Biggs in 1982, and the couple has been together ever since. They have six children and eleven grandchildren. The family has long resided in Gilbert, Arizona, the same community Biggs represents in Congress. The Biggs family experienced a profound loss in 2025 when their daughter, Cosette, died of cancer at the age of 37, leaving behind a husband and three children.