Abe Hamadeh won the Republican primary against Blake Masters in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District on Wednesday, both of whom have previously been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, The New York Times and The Hill projected.
Hamadeh won with 29.8% of the vote while Masters brought in 25.3% of the vote, according to the NYT and The Hill. Hamadeh, who previously ran for state attorney general in 2022, and Masters, who previously ran for Senate in 2022, were both endorsed by Trump on Sunday after he initially endorsed Hamadeh for the seat in December 2023.
“In Congress, we need a true Warrior who will work tirelessly with us to Grow our Economy, Stop Inflation, Secure our Border, End Migrant Crime, Support our Great Military/Vets, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment ,” Trump said on Truth Social. “They will both be spectacular, and I’m pleased to announce that both Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh have my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Congressman of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District — THEY WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
Hamadeh was notably endorsed by Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake, Republican Rep. Cory Mills of Florida and Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney of New York, according to his campaign website.
Before joining the Republican ticket alongside Trump, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio endorsed Masters in 2023, according to the Arizona Republic. Masters was also endorsed by Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona in 2023, calling him “America First through and through.”
“They underestimated me because they underestimate the American people,” Hamadeh said in a post on X. “We are stronger than they can ever even imagine. Thank you Arizona, the grassroots, Kari Lake, President Trump, and so many others who had my back.”
Hamadeh’s campaign said he would make border security a “top priority” if elected to Congress, according to his campaign website. Hamadeh vowed to “work with President Trump” to build a border wall and said he would pass legislation to classify drug cartels as the “terrorist organization that they are.”
Other top issues Hamadeh has addressed during his campaign are election integrity, the fentanyl crisis, crime and the cost of living.
Masters’ campaign also heavily focused on the economy and inflation, vowing to tackle “decades of bureaucratic overregulation, over-taxation, reckless outsourcing, and irresponsible spending,” according to his campaign website. Masters also made immigration a priority during his campaign, highlighting the fact that “millions of people are pouring across” the border and citing fentanyl, human trafficking and crime.
“We need to secure our border and Build The Wall,” Masters said on his campaign website. “The correct amount of illegal immigration is ZERO. We need to support our police and make our streets safe again.”
Other candidates who ran in the GOP primary include Arizona State Rep. Ben Toma, former Arizona Rep. Trent Franks, Arizona State Sen. Anthony Kern and candidate Patrick Briody. Toma received 21.2%, Franks received 16.5%, Kern received 4.7% and Briody received 2.3% of the vote, according to the NYT and The Hill.
