Debbie Lesko is stepping down from Congress. Here is who wants to step up to fill the job
U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko has had enough of Washington, D.C.
Lesko has represented the northwest Valley for six years after winning a special election to fill the spot for Trent Franks, who stepped down after allegations of sexual harassment involving his female staffers. Before that, she served a term in the Arizona Senate and three terms in the Arizona House of Representatives.
Lesko has been a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump, voting against his impeachment and voting in Congress to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
But when former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was being pushed out of office in a Republican-led coup, Lesko decided that she was done with Capitol Hill. She said she was tired of the frequent travel and congressional turmoil.
She said she was ready to head home to focus on her family. More recently, she announced she would run for the seat of the retiring Clint Hickman on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Which leaves the question: Who could represent one of Arizona's most conservative districts?
Who is running for the seat in Congressional District 8?
This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Ron Hansen is joined by Laura Gersony to dive into the crowded Congressional District 8 race. The Republic's two national politics reporters dissect the approach and positions of the candidates eyeing the open seat and discuss who has a chance of winning the primary in August.
Abe Hamadeh, who lost the state attorney general race to Democrat Kris Mayes in 2022, has both the coveted Trump endorsement and the Kari Lake endorsement. Polling has him in the lead of this very competitive race.
Blake Masters, who lost the U.S. Senate race to Democrat Mark Kelly in 2022, and current Arizona state Sen. Anthony Kern, who was present at the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, are also running.
Trent Franks, who resigned from the position in 2016, is looking to regain the seat, and more moderate Republican Ben Toma is interested in moving from Arizona House speaker to Congress.
Two Democrats and an independent candidate are also hoping to be on the ballot.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ District 8 will have a new representative in Congress. What to know
