Donald Trump endorses Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh in Arizona CD8 GOP primary

PHOENIX – In a late-race plot twist, former President Donald Trump announced over the weekend he is endorsing both Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh in their Arizona Republican congressional primary contest.

“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!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday night.

Trump called them “two spectacular America First Candidates.”

The GOP nominee will be the heavy favorite to win the U.S. House seat because Republicans have a large registration advantage in the West Valley district.

When did Trump originally endorse Hamadeh?

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, initially endorsed Hamadeh in this year’s election in December 2023. The Masters add-on, meanwhile, came just three days before Election Day on Tuesday, after a majority of expected primary votes already were cast.

In another layer to the CD8 endorsement onion, Ohio Sen. JD Vance threw his support to Masters in October 2023, nine months before becoming Trump’s running mate.

Masters and Hamadeh both had Trump’s endorsements in 2022, too, but they weren’t facing each other then. Trump’s backing helped them win their nominations, but Kris Mayes defeated Hamadeh for attorney general and Mark Kelly bested Masters in their U.S. Senate matchup.

Who else is running for Arizona CD8 seat?

Masters and Hamadeh have been polling as the front-runners in a CD8 primary race that drew a large field after Rep. Debbie Lesko announced she wasn’t seeking another term.

Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, state Sen. Anthony Kern, former Congressman Trent Franks and first-time candidate Patrick Briody are also seeking the nomination. Lesko, who is running for a seat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, endorsed Toma as her successor.

The winner of Tuesday’s primary will face Gregory Whitten, the only Democrat seeking the seat, in the November general election.

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