PHOENIX — Rep. Andy Biggs filed a statement of interest on Tuesday to run for Arizona governor in 2026, the first Republican politician in office to do so for the next election cycle.

Biggs, who represents the 5th Congressional District spanning most of the East Valley, said in a statement that he’d rely on his previous political experience if he did decide to run for governor.

“Arizona has a bright future but will need strong leadership to reach its full potential,” Biggs said. “I have been honored to serve Arizona at the state and federal levels and will bring my experience home to my native state to help it fulfill its tremendous capacity.”

What would gubernatorial race look like with Andy Biggs?

A statement of interest filed with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office doesn’t mean a candidate will officially run for a position, but it does signal Biggs’ captivation with being the Republican nominee for governor.

The list of interested politicians will grow as the 2026 primary election moves closer, but it won’t be the only hurdle for Biggs.

President Donald Trump has already endorsed Karrin Taylor Robson for governor in 2026. Taylor Robson lost to Kari Lake in the 2022 Republican gubernatorial primary.

“Are you running for governor? I think so, Karrin. Because if you do, you’re going to have my support,” Trump said after pointing to Robson in the crowd during Turning Point’s AmericaFest event at the Phoenix Convention Center in December.

If Biggs won the primary, he’d likely face off against Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in the general election.

Scott Neely, who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2022 and Mesa mayor in 2024, is one of five other politicians to file a statement of interest for governor in 2026.

“I have a firm understanding of what the state needs to thrive,” Biggs said. “I look forward to conversing with my fellow Arizonans as I consider this weighty decision.”

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It’s a rather quick turnaround for the West Virginia Mountaineers, who are coming off yet another massive win, this time over second-ranked Iowa State.

Tonight, Darian DeVries and Co. will welcome the Arizona State Sun Devils to the WVU Coliseum for the first time in what will be the first-ever matchup between the two programs.

According to the ESPN Basketball Power Index (BPI) matchup predictor, West Virginia has a 75.2% chance to improve to 14-4, while Arizona State has a 24.8% chance to pick up their second win in league play.

Given Arizona State’s struggles throughout the first half of the season, this number feels like it’s in the right spot. They have the talent to win some games in the Big 12 and aren’t likely to finish in the bottom three or four, so that’s why it’s hard to justify going much higher than the 75%. Plus, can WVU control its emotions and put the Iowa State win to bed?

For the Mountaineers to remain in the Big 12 title picture, they really needed to go 1-1 at worst last week against a pair of top-10 teams, and they did exactly that. They fought as long as they could on the road at Houston but just wore out at the end of the second half. DeVries’ squad was able to bounce back and protect its home floor on Saturday, knocking off No. 2 Iowa State on the day they honored the legendary Jerry West.

The Sun Devils lost both of their games last week against UCF and Cincinnati by six and seven points, respectively. In their loss to UCF, ASU shot the ball extremely well, going 52% from the floor and 50% (12/24) from three-point range. They accomplished just about everything they wanted to do offensively. The problem is that UCF did as well. The loss to Cincinnati was more of an old-school slugfest where they found themselves trailing by 14 at the half. They outscored the Bearcats in the second half, but it was too little, too late.

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PHOENIX (AZFamily/HawaiiNewsNow) – An Arizona man who pleaded guilty in a 2022 wrong-way crash that killed three people, including a Maui woman, has been sentenced.

Vincent Ian Acosta, 27, was sentenced to 22 years in prison, with credit for time served, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

The crash happened just before 4 a.m. on Oct. 10, 2022, when Acosta hit three other vehicles while driving the wrong way in the northbound lanes of Interstate 17 near New River.

Two people died at the scene and a third died at a hospital. They were later identified as:

• Hunter Balberdi, 19, from Wailuku, HI
• Abriauna Hoffman, 18, from Clarkston, WA
• Magdalyn (Maggie) Ogden, 18, from Clarkston, WA

According to court documents obtained by Hawaii News Now’s sister station, Arizona’s Family, Acosta’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.129. The legal BAC in Arizona is 0.08.

Balberdi was a 19-year-old Baldwin High School graduate and pre-med student at Grand Canyon University. Hoffman and Ogden were her roommates.

Acosta pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder last August.

His plea deal detailed a potential sentence between 18 and 22 years in prison on each charge, which are to be served simultaneously.

His license must also be revoked, AZ Family reported.

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