Republican Abe Hamadeh, a 2022 candidate for attorney general in Arizona, has announced his candidacy for Arizona's 8th Congressional District seat, currently held by GOP Rep. Debbie Lesko, who is not seeking reelection.
"Our country is in desperate need of courageous fighters, and that's why I'm proud to announce I'm running in Arizona's 8th District," Hamadeh said in a post on social media platform X, reports The Hill.
He added that former President Donald Trump is "under attack" and needs "backup – and I'm ready to help him Make America Great Again."
Hamadeh's announcement was made just hours after Lesko said she was retiring because of the inability in Washington, D.C., to "get anything done."
She also said in her statement that she wants to spend "more time with my husband, my 94-year-old mother, my three children, and my five grandchildren" and cited the gridlock in the House, along with constant travel, as other reasons for wanting to leave Congress.
Hamadeh thanked Lesko for her "years of service to Arizona."
Hamadeh lost his bid for attorney general by 300 votes and attempted to convince the Arizona Supreme Court to overturn the election results, reports The Hill. Hamadeh has also been ordered to pay more than $42,000 in legal fees to Kris Mayes over the dispute.
Kari Lake, who lost her race for governor in Arizona during the 2022 election, is now running for the U.S. Senate and has endorsed Hamadeh.
"After many years of service to our great state, Debbie Lesko has announced that she will not be seeking re-election," she posted on X. "I sure hope my friend @AbrahamHamadeh considers running! #AZ08 deserves a fighter & Abe is one of the toughest in Arizona."
Trump also endorsed Hamadeh's candidacy for attorney general and is expected to back his congressional race as well.
Hamadeh is the first to announce a campaign for Lesko's seat, which will likely be filled by a GOP candidate in the red district.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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