Blake Masters vs. Abe Hamadeh is great news for Ben Toma (plus, he actually lives in CD 8)
You can relax now, Sun City. And you there, in Glendale and Peoria and northwest Phoenix.
A Tucson man has announced he’s available to represent you in Congress.
It seems Blake Masters, who last we looked was eyeing another try for the U.S. Senate until Kari Lake scared him off, is now ready to “fight for Arizona’s 8th.”
Of course, first he’ll have to travel a couple of hours to even reach Arizona’s 8th.
And, he’ll have to beat Abe Hamadeh of Scottsdale, who also thinks he should represent his non-neighbors.
Can't anyone in CD 8 represent CD 8?
I asked this question last week when Hamadeh parachuted into the race before the ink was even dry on Rep. Debbie Lesko’s retirement announcement.
Is there no one among the 811,000 residents of CD 8 who could represent CD 8?
Now, I’ll narrow it down even further. There are 189,671 registered Republicans in this GOP stronghold.
Is there not a single one among them who could “fight for Arizona’s 8th?”
State Sen. Anthony Kern wants the job, but he’s a fake elector.
It seems a stretch, even in this Republican stronghold, that a man who didn’t respect of the will of the people could become the will of the people.
There are other lesser known Republicans in the race, along with a handful of Democrats and even an independent.
Call it a clash of the traveling titans
For now, however, this northwest Valley race is shaping up to be the clash of the traveling titans.
If, in fact, two avidly ambitious carpetbaggers who have a record of losing their elections can be considered titans.
Between them, Hamadeh likely has the upper hand. Kari Lake already has endorsed him, having apparently concluded within seconds of Lesko’s retirement that there is no one in CD 8 who is properly qualified to represent CD 8.
So have state Sens. Wendy Rogers and Justine Wadsack, neither of whom have allowed their actual home addresses to limit their considerable ambition.
Who could replace Lesko? Here are some to watch
It seems to me the fine citizens of CD 8 deserve better, or at least someone who can navigate the neighborhood without the help of Google Maps.
It also seems to me that Hamadeh vs. Masters would be a great incentive for House Speaker Ben Toma to enter the race.
Hamadeh gets it. He’s already attacking his former America First teammate.
“It is sad to see the establishment tricking @bgmasters into driving up all the way from Tucson and getting in the race,” Hamadeh fumed on social media. “They want the America First movement divided. Voters will remember who stood tall against the entrenched political class and who ran into their arms.”
Masters and Hamadeh make Toma look good
Toma is a conservative Republican who played a key role in cutting income taxes and creating a universal school voucher program. And, he actually lives in the district.
He’s not a creature of the MAGA movement, which means he can forget about punching the golden ticket in next year’s GOP primary: a Trump endorsement. (Yes, that’s still a thing, even now … .)
Still, running against two America Firsters? I like Toma’s chances.
Masters’ chances, not so much. He won’t get Trump’s nod, having declined to reliably bleat on about stolen elections and such.
And ... he’s from Tucson. Even his two-minute introductory campaign video looks like it was shot in Pima County.
“I’m running for Congress, to fight for Arizona's 8th,” he wrote on Thursday, in announcing his run on X, formerly Twitter. “Biden has failed. We need Trump back. We need to stop inflation, Build the Wall, avoid WW3, and secure Arizona’s water future. We need to fight for our families. DONATE NOW to send me to the House!”
Masters vs. Hamadeh?
Like I said, I like Toma's chances.
Reach Roberts at [email protected]. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @LaurieRoberts.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Blake Masters joins the race to represent his non-neighbors in CD 8
