Watch: Arizona US House Congressional District 8 Republican debate
Jun 25, 2024, 5:54 PM | Updated: 5:59 pm
PHOENIX — The Arizona U.S. House Congressional District 8 Republican debate on June 25 featured some of the more notable names of the 2024 election cycle.
Five of the six candidates competed in the debate. Trent Franks was the only candidate to decline the invitation.
The typically GOP friendly district is looking for a new representative after incumbent Debbie Lesko announced she wouldn’t run for reelection in October 2023. Lesko is running for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
District 8 covers parts of the West Valley.
Who are the Republican candidates for the Arizona U.S. House Congressional District 8?
The field features two candidates who ran for statewide office and lost in 2022.
Blake Masters was defeated by Democrat Mark Kelly for U.S. Senate, while Abraham Hamadeh narrowly lost to Democrat Kris Mayes for Arizona Secretary of State.
Ben Toma is the Arizona House Speaker and represents District 27.
Anthony Kern is a state senator and also represents District 27. Kern was one of 11 Republicans who allegedly met and submitted false Electoral College certificates declaring Donald Trump as the president following the 2020 election.
Patrick Briody sells industrial and construction machinery, tools and supplies. He has never held political office.
Franks is a former member of the U.S. House in Arizona. He resigned in 2017 after reportedly asking two staffers to carry his child.