PHOENIX — Two attorneys with long histories of work and service in Arizona are running against Republican incumbent Andy Biggs in Congressional District 5. The district encompasses portions of Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, Apache Junction and Mesa.
Clint Smith, the owner of a law practice, former political activist, and youth volunteer, is running as an Independent.
Javier Ramos, a tribal attorney, and voting rights reformer is running as a Democrat.
Biggs declined interview requests for this story.
Clint Smith: “Vote Independent and not insurrectionist”
Estate planning attorney Clint Smith has made history before in East Valley politics.
In 2011, Smith co-chaired the bi-partisan campaign committee that successfully recalled Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce in the aftermath of a hardline immigration law sponsored by Pearce. The law drew negative publicity nationally and was declared, in part, unconstitutional. Political observers were stunned by the recall of Pearce.
Smith hopes to appeal to moderate voters to overcome political odds, this time by running as a Republican-turned-Independent to defeat Biggs.
“The more I looked into it, I realized that running as an Independent is the only way to take down an entrenched Republican. I said, ‘why not me?’” Smith said.
Smith, who is proud of his record as an attorney mediating legal settlements, believes his approach is a fresh contrast to Biggs.
“You have to have a personality who is willing to listen to other parties and get stuff done,” Smith said. “Our current congressman Andy Biggs basically says I’m right, you’re wrong, and not only are you wrong, you’re the devil and you’re evil.”
A former Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout Troop, Smith says he’s outraged at Biggs for allegedly participating in an insurrection of the American government.
“He actively participated in a plot to overturn the election. What more do you need to know?” Smith said. “He was one of the first to float the idea of fake electors, tried to sell that to Rusty Bowers on January 6th.”
Smith says he supports government “making it easier for businesses to thrive.”
“Free markets, free enterprise, and people free to pursue their goals unencumbered by unnecessary regulations are the best way to unleash the forces of economic growth,” Smith said.
On the issue of immigration, Smith supports more resources to secure the border.
“More importantly, in my mind, we need to have a functional and working immigration policy. Right now, it does not work. The court system is way outdated and broken,” Smith said. He supports a path to residency or a work permit that allows immigrants to pay taxes and work legally.
On the issue of abortion, Smith supports a woman’s right to choose.
“I believe every life is sacred, but so are privacy and freedom,” Smith said on his campaign website. “When I am in Congress, I will support legislation that affirms a woman’s right to make her own decisions on reproductive health, free of government interference.”
Endorsements for Smith include U.S. Senate Candidate for Utah Evan McMullin, former Congressman Harry Mitchell, former Congressman Jim Kolbe, former Mayor of Mesa Scott Smith, and former Democrat nominee for Congress Joan Greene.
Javier Ramos: “I’m a local home-grown individual”
Attorney Javier Ramos, who grew up working in the agricultural fields of Phoenix, prides himself on his roots in Arizona.
“I’m a local home-grown individual. My wife is Navajo. We are getting our message out there that we all belong. That we stand up for women. We are about inclusion,” Ramos said.
Like Smith, Ramos quickly criticizes Biggs for his actions surrounding the January 6th insurrection. He’s also disappointed in Biggs’ votes after the attack.
“Instead of supporting law enforcement, he went against law enforcement. Instead of supporting Congressional medals of honor, he went against them,” Ramos said. “Instead of working to unify us. He divided us.”
Ramos hopes the newly redistricted boundaries that include portions of Pinal County will help his chances.
“Nobody is out here campaigning except for the Ramos team,” Ramos said, speaking at an event in Apache Junction.
If elected, he says his priorities would be to codify Roe Vs. Wade, create more voter protections and work on a desalination plan to transport water from the Gulf of Mexico to Arizona.
“Water is life,” Ramos said. “Pinal County farmers are getting hit the hardest right now.”
On the economy, Ramos emphasizes his experience as a tribal attorney overseeing infrastructure projects and refusing to accept political donations.
“Supply-chain issues, inflation, the opioid crisis, all of these problems stem from overlapping failures resulting from politicians who focus on the specific agenda item that will get them paid without stepping back to solve the large fundamental problems,” Ramos said on his campaign website.
Ramos's endorsements include the Arizona Democratic Party, the Arizona Carpenters Union, the Gila River Indian Community, and Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense in America.
Andy Biggs: A record of loyalty to Trump and Conservatism
Andy Biggs was slow to support Donald Trump in the runup to the 2016 presidential election. But since then, he has been one of Trump’s most ardent supporters and outspoken defenders.
Biggs sits on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Elected three times to Congress, he has come under scrutiny for his role in spreading misinformation about the 2020 presidential election and for allegations he helped plan the January 6 “Stop The Steal” rally that led to an attempted coup.
On January 6, Biggs voted to throw out Arizona’s presidential electors. Two days before the vote, he went on KTAR radio, spreading a false claim about tens of thousands of switched votes in Arizona. The claim had already been debunked by federal law enforcement agencies.
Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander has claimed he coordinated the January 6 rally in-person with Biggs.
This summer, White House Aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified under oath Biggs asked for a presidential pardon from the White House in connection to the insurrection.
Biggs claims Hutchinson “is mistaken” and her testimony was “deceptively edited.”
He denies knowing Alexander and having any connection to the January 6 insurrection.
Biggs also voted against bills to award Congressional gold medals to law enforcement for their responses to the violence at the U.S. Capitol. He participated in a campaign to release some riot suspects, calling them “political prisoners.”
Endorsements for Biggs include Gun Owners of America, National Border Patrol Council, Local 2544, Town of Gilbert Vice Mayor Aimee Yentes, and City of Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke.
Decision 2022
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