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President Trump’s recent endorsement of one congressional candidate shows the power of his influence once again, as the contender has shot up in the polls following the president’s involvement.
In a post to Truth Social on Dec. 8, Trump endorsed a former state attorney general candidate, Republican Abe Hamadeh, who is running for the open seat for the U.S. House in Arizona’s 8th district to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Debbie Lesko.
Following the endorsement, Hamadeh’s support took off to a 23-point lead against his nearest opponent, Arizona’s 2022 GOP Senate nominee, Blake Masters.
Hamadeh holds a commanding lead of 37 percent, according to a recent poll from Politico of Likely Voters. Masters came in a distant second with 14 percent in Arizona.
Other candidates who placed with single digits include state House Speaker Ben Toma, who took seven percent, former GOP Rep. Trent Franks with six percent, and state Sen. Anthony Kern at three percent.
“Abe Hamadeh is a veteran, a former prosecutor and fearless fighter for our elections,” Trump said in his endorsement of Hamadeh. “He will be a true WARRIOR in Congress, and always put America First!”
Trump also championed Hamadeh’s views on securing the southern border, supporting the military and veterans, cutting taxes, and fighting for election integrity.
The 45th president had previously endorsed Hamadeh’s bid for attorney general in 2022, along with Masters’ previous bid for the Senate. This time around, Trump has chosen to endorse Hamadeh over Masters, possibly due to Hamadeh’s strong and lengthy legal battle over election integrity in Arizona’s 2022 state attorney general race.
Election security has been a top issue supported by Hamadeh, as he narrowly lost his election for Arizona state attorney general by 280 ballots in a highly scrutinized race against Democrat Kris Mayes.
Trump’s endorsement will play a huge role in determining who wins this open seat for the House, as the winning primary candidate will likely coast to victory in the general election.
Lesko’s seat is located in a heavily conservative area, so the Republican candidate who wins the primary will likely win a seat in Congress in 2024.
