Abe Hamadeh, one of two Republican candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump, holds a narrow lead in Arizona’s congressional District 8 Republican primary Wednesday morning.
If Hamadeh's lead holds, his win would come only a few months after the Arizona Appeals court rejected his challenge to his loss in the 2022 race for attorney general against Democrat Kris Mayes. Hamadeh was also endorsed by the U.S. Senate GOP primary winner Kari Lake, another individual contesting her election loss to Gov. Katie Hobbs in 2022.
Hamdeh is in front of venture capitalist Blake Masters by 3,917 votes with 96% of precincts reporting. Masters is the other Republican candidate endorsed by Trump. The former president endorsed Masters on Saturday, days before the election and long after mail-in ballots had been sent out.
The latest results show Hamadeh received 30% of votes and Masters received 25% of votes. Arizona Speaker of the House Ben Toma is not far behind with 21% of the vote. Other Republican candidates included Trent Franks, 17%, Anthony Kern, 5% and Pat Briody, at 2%.
Hamadeh is the former Maricopa County prosecutor and the son of immigrants. His priorities if elected to congress are allocating resources to end illegal border crossings and crime at the border, passing a bill that classifies drug cartels as terrorist organizations and ensuring election integrity.
Hamadeh stands by his challenge to his 2022 election loss.
“America cannot exist without free and fair elections,” reads Hamadeh’s campaign website. “What we witnessed in the 2020 and 2022 elections should never happen again and there must be accountability. I am still fighting for those that were disenfranchised last November in court and will never waver in fighting for the integrity of our elections.”
Additionally, Hamadeh plans to work to lower inflation and the cost of living in addition to lowering abortion rates and providing pro-life resources to mothers
