Arizona U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs started collecting signatures to be on the 2026 Arizona Republican gubernatorial primary ballot.

His nominating petition will need to hit a certain threshold of signatures in order for his name to appear on the ballot. Earlier this week, he announced he was going to contemplate the “weighty decision” after filing an official statement of interest with the Secretary of State’s office.

“I am collecting the signatures required to get on the ballot for Governor of Arizona, and I would be grateful for your support,” he tweeted Thursday with a link to his campaign website donning a logo for the race.

No other major candidates have entered the race yet. Karrin Taylor Robson, who President Donald Trump said in a December speech in Phoenix that he would support, has yet to make a public decision on whether she’ll jump into the race. Biggs is also closely allied with the president and a member of the House Freedom Caucus, and he was one of the Republicans who led the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Whoever wins the primary will likely take on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who narrowly defeated Republican Kari Lake in 2022. In 2026, the race is expected to be one of the most competitive in the country.

Biggs’ decision to run opens the door for a hotly competitive primary in his East Valley congressional seat, as the Republican won with over 60% of the vote in his district in November. Former State Rep. Travis Grantham announced he filed a statement of interest for the seat earlier this week.

“Today I filed a Statement of Interest to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District. The East Valley deserves continued strong, experienced and conservative leadership should Congressman Biggs depart for statewide office,” the former Republican lawmaker said in an X post.

“I look forward to the coming months, meeting with our citizenry and seeing what the future holds for this wonderful district,” he added.