Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb launches bid for seat in Congress

PHOENIX — Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb is throwing his hat back into the political ring, as he launched a run for Congress on Wednesday.

Lamb, 53, is running to represent Arizona’s 5th Congressional District (CD5) in Washington, D.C. The seat is currently held by Rep. Andy Biggs, who is running for Arizona governor instead of reelection.

“It took me a little time to get to this decision, but look, in the end … I love this country. I love America. I love our history. I love our birthright. I love everything about it and I want to do what I can to defend it,” Lamb told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show Wednesday.

The 5th Congressional District covers much of the East Valley, including parts of Chandler, Gilbert, Apache Junction, Queen Creek and San Tan Valley. It is considered a Republican stronghold.

Why did Mark Lamb decide to run for Congress?

The ex-sheriff, who had previously said he was not planning to get back into politics, officially announced his candidacy Wednesday during an appearance on The Charlie Kirk Show, a podcast hosted by Turning Point USA.

Lamb said that Kirk’s assassination in September prompted him to reconsider running for Congress.

“Seeing Charlie Kirk killed the way he was, not only was that a huge blow to our country, to Arizona, to free speech; there were so many things that I think every American is concerned about, but it also brought me back to when I lost my kids,” Lamb said.

Lamb’s son, Cooper, his fiancé and their daughter were killed in a crash in Gilbert in 2022.

“What it reminded me of is, and something I’ve said many times, is that there is no guarantee for tomorrow,” Lamb said. “I could go on and work and make money and do all those things, but walking away from a fight that I know I could be very valuable in, I just couldn’t do it.”

This will be the latest foray into the political realm for Lamb, who was elected sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona’s third-most populous county, in 2016. He served two terms but didn’t seek a third; instead, he ran for a U.S. Senate seat last year, when he lost to Kari Lake in the Republican primary.

“What I’m doing is I just want to go out, I did it in the Senate race as well, I go out, I tell you what I’m capable of, what’s driving me, my belief in this country, my desire to preserve freedom,” Lamb said. “That’s all I can do and I hope that the people of CD5 see the genuineness that I bring to the table.”

Lamb lays out priorities for 2026 congressional campaign

The former sheriff said the loss to Lake in 2024 taught him many lessons that he will use as he looks to succeed Biggs.

“I understood the water issue, Social Security, the economy,” Lamb said. “But I think my strong suit, this is not a surprise to anybody, is even though we’re doing well with securing our border, we still have a major immigration problem.”

Lamb credited the Trump administration for its crackdown on illegal immigration and said he wants to be a strong advocate for the president and his policies in Congress.

However, Lamb added that voters need to know that he is capable of reaching across the aisle.

“One thing I’ve proven is not just to be a conservative, but … the ability to get along with people,” Lamb said. “I’ve been able to do that here on a state level and I look forward to doing that for all of the citizens of CD5.”

Lamb joins crowded 2026 Republican primary race in CD5

The former lawman joins a crowded field of eight Republicans who have filed statements of interest to run for Biggs’ seat, including former Arizona Cardinal Jay Feely, former state Rep. Travis Grantham, conservative political activist Alex Stovall and founder of DK Builders Daniel Keenan.

Since deciding to enter the race last week, Lamb said he has called all of his Republican competitors.

“I consider these good men and they’re friends,” Lamb said.

Lamb officially filed a statement of interest with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office to run for Biggs’ seat on Monday.

Arizona’s 2026 primary election will be held on Aug. 4, 2026.

The general election will be held on Nov. 3, 2026.

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