BREAKING: Sheriff Mark Lamb wins Arizona GOP primary to replace Andy Biggs in Congress
“We gotta make sure our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren have the same freedoms that we have.”
Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, has won Arizona’s Republican primary for the state’s Fifth Congressional District, positioning him to compete this November to succeed Rep. Andy Biggs after the longtime conservative congressman launched a successful bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
According to Fox News, Lamb defeated the Republican field Tuesday to become the GOP nominee in one of Arizona’s most reliably Republican congressional districts. He will face Democratic nominee Elizabeth Lee in the Nov. 3 general election for the seat Biggs is vacating. Arizona’s Fifth Congressional District has long favored Republicans, making Lamb the early favorite to succeed Biggs in Congress.
Throughout his campaign, Lamb framed his candidacy as part of a broader effort to preserve American values and defend constitutional freedoms. “That’s why I’m running for Congress. We gotta make sure our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren have the same freedoms that we have,” Lamb said in a campaign video.
The seat opened after Biggs announced his gubernatorial campaign last year. Biggs has represented Arizona’s Fifth Congressional District since 2017 and emerged as one of President Donald Trump’s strongest allies in the House of Representatives. During his tenure, he served as chairman of the House Freedom Caucus and became a leading advocate for stronger border security, fiscal restraint, and conservative priorities. He handily won reelection in 2024, defeating Democrat Katrina Schaffner by a 60.4 percent to 39.6 percent margin. Following Arizona’s 2022 redistricting, the district became even more favorable to Republicans.
Lamb has campaigned on many of the same issues that defined Biggs’ congressional career, particularly illegal immigration and border security. “The Joe Biden administration came in, and immediately, overnight, we started seeing hundreds of thousands of people, the majority of these men were military-age men from all over the world. Many of them didn’t love America,” Lamb said in a campaign video.
“We stood by as our government not only allowed them to come in but rolled out the red carpet for people that broke our law.”
Earlier this year, allegations surfaced regarding Lamb’s personal conduct. His wife, Janel, rejected the accusations, describing them as politically motivated. “Politics can be dark and ugly, but if you know us, you know that’s not how we roll. The only way to dispel darkness is not with more darkness, only light. After all we’ve been through, a massive smear campaign is certainly not going to stop us from doing what we know is right,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
Tuesday’s primary also featured heightened federal oversight at polling locations. The Department of Justice announced it was monitoring polling places in Maricopa, Apache, and Pima counties through personnel from the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section and the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, saying the effort was intended to promote election transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal voting laws.
Ahead of polls opening, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon highlighted the monitoring effort on X. “Good morning! @CivilRights @TheJusticeDept election monitors are fanning out in Maricopa, Apache, and Pima counties for the Arizona primary today. ALL citizens and ONLY citizens should get out and vote in federal races today, feeling confident that the government is here to help!”
In a statement, Dhillon added, “The Department of Justice today continues to monitor elections consistently and in a uniform fashion nationwide, ensuring our elections are safe and secure. Transparent election processes and election monitoring are critical tools for safeguarding our elections and ensuring public trust in the integrity of our elections. We appreciate Arizona’s cooperation in these important procedural safeguards.”
US Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona said, “Our democracy depends on free and fair elections. My office is pleased to be leading efforts to ensure election integrity for Arizona voters. Today’s monitoring effort is a critical piece of that.”
According to the Justice Department, election officials in the three counties provided credentials allowing DOJ personnel to observe voting procedures. The department said it will continue accepting complaints related to potential violations of federal voting rights laws through the Nov. 3 general election.