The race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko in her West Valley congressional district has devolved into a bitter fight between two former allies from the 2022 election.
The big picture: Six Republicans are running for the seat, including some notable names in Arizona politics, like former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, state House Speaker Ben Toma and state Sen. Anthony Kern.
- But the sheer nastiness of their campaigns means Abraham Hamadeh and Blake Masters have commanded most of the attention.
Why it matters: The 8th Congressional District is solidly Republican, meaning the winner of the GOP primary will almost certainly win the seat in November.
Flashback: In 2022, Hamadeh and Masters were allies, both endorsed by former President Trump, as the Republican nominees for attorney general and U.S. Senate, respectively.
- Both lost the general election, though Hamadeh, who was defeated by 280 votes, continues to baselessly claim he won the race. Courts have rejected multiple lawsuits seeking to overturn the results.