Why It Matters
Rep. Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ) is running unopposed in the Republican primary for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, while Democratic candidates Bernadette Greene Placentia and Raymond Keeler are competing for the nomination ahead of the Tuesday, July 21 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the district Solid Republican, making Hamadeh the heavy favorite to win reelection in November.
The Big Picture
Hamadeh won the seat in 2024 after emerging from a six-candidate Republican primary with 29.8% of the vote, narrowly ahead of venture capitalist Blake Masters at 25.3%, according to reporting from Axios. He then won the general election with 56.5% of the vote, according to AP race-call reporting and related election coverage.
Hamadeh’s congressional biography says he was born in Chicago to a Syrian immigrant family and was raised in Arizona’s 8th District. Before Congress, he worked as a prosecutor in the Tucson City Prosecutor’s Office and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, and he campaigned as a Trump-aligned conservative focused on law enforcement and public safety. He is now the incumbent in a district that leans strongly Republican.
Amanda Rose withdrew from the 2026 Republican primary race, according to Cook Political Report, leaving the Republican nomination wide open for Rep. Hamadeh.
The Bottom Line
The Republican primary in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District is uncontested, so the main race on July 21 is the Democratic primary. Given the district’s strong GOP lean and Cook’s Solid Republican rating, Hamadeh remains the clear favorite to keep the seat in November.
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