NPR News

Trump-backed candidate wins in Arizona primary race

By Ben Giles

Published August 1, 2024 at 6:29 AM AKDT

Abe Hamedeh, seen here in a 2022 photo, beat out a crowded field in the Republican race for Arizona's 8th Congressional District with Trump's endorsement, even after Trump also backed his rival Blake Masters.

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Former President Donald Trump made sure his favored candidate won in the western suburbs of Phoenix — by endorsing the two front-runners in the heated congressional race.

With Trump’s blessing, Abe Hamadeh beat a crowded field in the Republican race for Arizona's 8th Congressional District, according to a race call by The Associated Press late on Wednesday. Having won, Hamadeh is now heavily favored to win the GOP-leaning district in November and replace retiring Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko.

Hamadeh secured 29.8% of the vote compared to his chief rival, venture capitalist Blake Masters, who had 25.3%, the AP reported, though votes are still being counted.

But Hamadeh’s victory was far from assured after Trump issued a dual endorsement the weekend before Tuesday's election. The former president first pledged his support to Hamadeh, who narrowly lost a race for Arizona attorney general in 2022 and has, like Trump, promoted baseless claims of election fraud.

But the Republican presidential candidate also gave Masters a last-minute endorsement on Truth Social Saturday night. Masters had lost the U.S. Senate race in Arizona in 2022 to Democrat Mark Kelly.

On social media, Trump said voters in the West Valley suburbs have "two spectacular America First Candidates" to choose from.

Polling had ranked Masters and Hamadeh neck and neck in a bitter race defined by each candidate's fealty to Trump. It also featured sharp attacks among the former allies, particularly Masters' barbs regarding Hamadeh’s personal and religious background.

Arizona has become a key swing state in the presidential contest, meaning even primary races have attracted high-profile endorsements and attention. The state helped President Biden clinch his win in 2020, and Democrats swept key statewide races, including the U.S. Senate seat that Masters lost, in 2022.

But Republicans now hold nearly a 260,000-person advantage among registered voters, and hope to use that to reclaim the state for Trump.

Trump endorsement boosts Lake

Trump’s backing also helped Kari Lake, who’s been the front-runner in this year’s Republican primary for U.S. Senate ever since jumping into the race with the former president’s blessing last fall. Lake, who failed in her run for governor of Arizona in 2022 and still refuses to accept that defeat, won 55% of the vote Tuesday.

She’ll face Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, who ran unopposed for his party’s nomination to the Senate seat now filled by retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz.

The heated Democratic primary for Arizona's 3rd Congressional District has not been called yet. Former Arizona state Sen. Raquel Terán is facing off against former Phoenix City councilmember Yassamin Ansari.

Elsewhere in the Valley of the Sun, incumbent Republican Rep. David Schweikert easily beat out Republicans rivals in the 1st Congressional District. The race for his Democratic opponent hasn't been called yet.

And in southern Arizona, first-term Rep. Juan Ciscomani cruised to victory in the GOP primary in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, and is now headed for a rematch with Democrat Kirsten Engel in the tossup district.