Editor's Note: KAWC spoke with Congressman Andy Biggs on Thursday. Hear Biggs' response to Copper State Victory's comments in our interview with him. See the link below.
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Yuma-area Democrats criticized Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs over the cost of groceries, fuel and health care during a Thursday event in Yuma, part of a statewide campaign tour ahead of Election Day.
Yuma County Supervisor Lynne Pancrazi, working parent Jonathan Valencia and Yuma County Democratic Party Chair Xanthe Bullard spoke at a gas station where local leaders had held a similar event five months ago.
The event was part of the “Biggs Costs” tour organized by Copper State War Room, a political group targeting Biggs, who is running for Arizona governor against the incumbent Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, over his policy positions.
The speakers accused Biggs of supporting federal policies that have increased costs for Arizona families. Their criticisms focused on tariffs, proposed tax changes, health care spending and his positions on Social Security and Medicare.
Bullard said the group returned to the same gas station because she believes the policies they criticized earlier have continued to affect local families.
“Five months ago, I stood in front of this exact sign, at this exact gas station, to call out Andy Biggs for raising costs on Arizona families,” Bullard said. “I said then that his Washington agenda would keep making life more expensive for Yuma families. And that is exactly what happened.”
Valencia also challenged Biggs’ public statements about inflation and the cost of living, saying grocery prices remain a concern for working families.
“I invite Andy Biggs to sit at a kitchen table in Yuma, look at a single parent's grocery receipt, and tell them that everything has come back down,” Valencia said.
Pancrazi, who said she served in the Arizona Legislature alongside Biggs and Gov. Katie Hobbs, criticized the congressman’s political views.
“I can tell you that Andy Biggs had extreme views when he served in the state Legislature, and those views haven’t changed,” Pancrazi said.
The group also criticized Biggs’ support for tariffs, which they said have contributed to higher grocery prices, and his positions on federal health care programs. They alleged his votes have put health care coverage for more than 200,000 Arizonans at risk and contributed to financial pressures on hospitals and clinics.
The event organizers also accused Biggs of supporting cuts to Social Security and Medicare and a proposal to raise the retirement age to 69. They criticized his support for a proposed national sales tax that they said could increase costs on everyday purchases.
The claims were part of a broader political effort to link Biggs’ policy positions to the cost of living in Arizona.
Thursday’s event was described as the third stop on the “Biggs Costs” tour, which organizers said was making its final rounds in the 12 days before Election Day.
