(RepublicanView.org) – Just hours after Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) announced her retirement from the House, former attorney general candidate for Arizona Abe Hamadeh announced his campaign to replace her.
If elected, Hamadeh will be representing the 8th Congressional District in Arizona. He previously campaigned for attorney general but narrowly lost to Democrat Kris Mayes. The election was called one of the closest in history. A recount was ordered after Hamadeh contested the results. Courts ordered him to pay Mayes a settlement of $42,000 after the recount.
Hamadeh, a graduate of Arizona State University, serves as an intelligence officer for the Army. He has also worked as a Maricopa County prosecutor previously. The announcement came from his X (formerly Twitter) account. He received an endorsement by Kari Lake, a former candidate for governor and current candidate for the US Senate. Lake announced her endorsement on the X platform.
Lesko said she chose to retire so that she can have more time with relatives. She also expressed frustration over the federal government’s inability to make things happen as a secondary reason for retirement. She said in a statement that Washington is “broken.”
Lesko became a representative after getting elected during a special election held to replace former Republican Rep. Trent Franks.
Hamadeh received an endorsement from Donald Trump for his attorney general candidacy. No announcements have been made yet to endorse him in the upcoming race. Hamadeh also expressed his support for Trump’s 2024 presidential candidacy on X.
So far, no other candidates have been announced, although that is likely to change as election season heats up.
Arizona, a traditionally red state that began trending blue over the past few election cycles, is expected to play a significant role in the 2024 general election. It is still considered a key swing state.
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