Arizona Gubernatorial Candidate Andy Biggs Faces Scrutiny Over Past Votes on Sex Trafficking Legislation
Arizona Representative Andy Biggs is in the spotlight as he campaigns for governor, with past voting decisions on anti-sex trafficking legislation drawing attention. The Republican candidate has faced criticism for his legislative record, which some see as unsupportive of sexual assault victims.
In 2005, during his tenure in the Arizona House, Biggs was one of only four legislators to oppose SB 1338. This bill aimed to classify sex trafficking of minors under 15 as a “dangerous crime against children,” mandating a 20-year prison sentence for first-time offenders and a 30-year sentence for repeat offenders. The bill was signed into law by then-Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano, with Biggs not providing any formal reasoning for his vote against it.
Biggs’s voting record shows a pattern of opposing similar measures. In 2005, he voted against a bipartisan initiative requiring sex offenders relocating to Arizona to re-register. Two years later, he was the sole committee member to vote against a law that aimed to increase penalties for child prostitution.
In 2013, as the leader of the Arizona Senate, Biggs played a role in blocking efforts to dismantle a local police force accused of shielding an extremist religious sect involved in the abuse of young girls.
This trend extended to his time in Congress. Biggs opposed a 2018 bipartisan bill designed to crack down on online sex trafficking. Despite receiving widespread bipartisan support, the bill was signed into law by President Donald Trump.
In a more recent instance, Biggs was part of a committee vote last year that initially blocked the release of Justice Department files related to the investigation of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. However, he later voted in favor of releasing the files on the floor.
Biggs is running against incumbent Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, with a Tarrance Group poll from July indicating a slight lead for Hobbs, who is ahead by four percentage points.
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