Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb is projected to win the Republican primary for Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ). The victory puts him on track to replace retiring Rep. Andy Biggs (R) in a reliably conservative district covering Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert.
Lamb, who lost the 2024 GOP Senate primary to Kari Lake, secured endorsements from former President Donald Trump, the Club for Growth PAC, and Turning Point Action. He defeated home construction businessman Daniel Keenan in Tuesday’s primary. The outcome aligns with broader trends in Arizona’s GOP primaries, where Trump-backed candidates have often prevailed, as seen in the Election Denier Kolodin Wins Arizona GOP Primary for Secretary of State.
However, Lamb’s advancement comes under a cloud of controversy. In May, The Arizona Republic reported that Lamb sent sexually explicit messages to multiple women and, in some instances, threatened retaliation if they disclosed the communications. Lamb’s campaign and legal team have denied the allegations, with former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould—now a private attorney—calling them “false, misleading, and potentially defamatory” in an April 18 letter to the newspaper.
Keenan made the scandal a central issue in the primary, warning that Lamb’s baggage could hand the seat to Democrats in the general election. “This primary isn’t just about who can win in July. It’s about who can hold the seat in November,” Keenan said in a video posted on X earlier this month. “Democrats will spend millions highlighting every controversy they can find on Mark Lamb, and if our nominee comes into the general election with significant baggage similar to Graham Platner, we risk turning what should be a Republican hold into a competitive race.”
Three Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination in the same district: nonprofit CEO Christ James, veteran Brian Hualde, and nurse Elizabeth Lee. The general election will test whether the scandal can flip a district that has long been a GOP stronghold. For context, recent Arizona House primaries have seen fierce intraparty battles, as detailed in Arizona House Primaries: Biggs, Schweikert Face Off in GOP Battle; Democrats Eye Pickup.
Lamb’s campaign has sought to downplay the allegations, framing them as politically motivated attacks. But the controversy could energize Democratic turnout and attract outside spending. The race is one of several in Arizona that will shape the balance of power in the House, with national implications for control of Congress.
As Lamb pivots to the general election, he must navigate both the scandal and a Democratic opponent who may leverage the issue. The outcome will be closely watched, especially given the district’s GOP lean and the potential for a competitive race. For more on the broader political landscape, see Arizona Primary Preview: Trump's Sway, Hobbs' Survival, and House Control at Stake.
