Hamadeh leading Masters in race to succeed Lasko in congressional GOP primary

(The Center Square) – Abe Hamadeh, one of two Republican candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump, had a narrow lead in Arizona’s congressional District 8 Republican primary late Tuesday night.

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.

Just before midnight, the Secretary of State reported that Hamdeh was narrowly in the lead above venture capitalist Blake Masters, 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 23% of votes. Arizona Speaker of the House Ben Toma is not far behind with 22.25% of the votes. Other Republican candidates included Trent Franks, 17.34%, Anthony Kern, 4.62% and Pat Briody, 2.57%.

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.

The winner of the GOP primary will be going against Democratic candidate and Biosecurity Expert Gregory Whitten, though the heavily-Republican district is likely to carry tonight’s winner through the general election in November.

“At the Pentagon Greg served as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs,” reads Whitten’s campaign website.

Whitten’s priorities include ensuring economic security for Arizonans, solving Arizona water challenges, ensuring that women have the freedom to make reproductive decisions without influence from the government and creating border security at the southern border without building a wall.

“The choice couldn’t be clearer for #CD08,” reads a post by Whitten on X, referring to the Republican candidates. “They don’t care about those in the district. They follow a convicted felon who’s stated that he’d be a dictator from day 1.”

If results hold, Hamadeh and Whitten will be competing for the District 8 seat in the general election Nov. 5.