The Republican candidate triumphed in the race to fill a U.S. House of Representatives seat left open by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).
Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb won over Democrat Elizabeth Lee, a nurse. The Associated Press called the race on Nov. 6.
Lamb earned 159,821 votes to Lee’s 150,119, according to unofficial results from Arizona’s secretary of state.
“Thank you for your support, your prayers, and your confidence in me. Serving the people of Arizona’s Fifth District will be an honor,” Lamb said in a statement. “Here in Arizona and across the country, we heard the same message. People want leaders who will focus on America and work to preserve the American Dream. Together, we’ll protect our freedoms, strengthen our country, and build a brighter future for the next generation.”
Lee told The Epoch Times in an email: “While the outcome of this election is not what we had hoped for, I could not be more proud of what we accomplished together. We took a congressional district that had long been written off as unwinnable and moved it 17 points, demonstrating that Arizona’s Fifth District is not only competitive, but that its future is very much worth fighting for.”
Lamb campaigned on being a conservative leader who would help secure the U.S. southern border.
“Known across Arizona and the nation for his unwavering commitment to the Constitution, public safety, and individual liberty, Mark earned the trust of the people he served by leading with courage, common sense, and conviction,” his campaign website said.
“Today, Mark is running for Congress because he believes Arizona families deserve a representative who understands the challenges facing our communities, will defend our freedoms, secure our border, and fight for the future of the American Dream.”
President Donald Trump endorsed the former sheriff, calling him a Make America Great Again warrior in a social media post over the summer.
“Mark strongly supports our incredible Law Enforcement, Military, and Veterans, and knows the Wisdom and Courage it takes to Ensure LAW AND ORDER,” Trump wrote at the time. “In Congress, Mark will work hard to Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment.”
Lee has said her legislative priority was broadening access to healthcare, including by supporting efforts to pass Medicare for All, or a proposal to expand government-run health insurance.
“As a nurse and patient advocate for more than a decade, she has seen the system from both sides, and she understands exactly where it breaks down and what it will take to fix it so every patient is treated with dignity and has access to the care they deserve,” her campaign website said.
Arizona has nine seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The composition now is six Republicans and three Democrats in those seats.
Five Democrats vying for the seats won in the midterms, including Dr. Amish Shah, a Democrat who won the race to fill a seat representing Arizona’s First Congressional District being left open by Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), who chose to run for governor.
Democrats flipped control of the House and the Senate in the midterms.
One of the races in Arizona, for the seat representing Arizona’s Second Congressional District, has not yet been called. Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) is ahead of Democrat challenger Jonathan Nez by about 3,700 votes as of Nov. 6.
The seat Lamb will take over in January 2027 represents Arizona’s Fifth Congressional District. It became up for grabs when Biggs opted to enter the gubernatorial election rather than try for another term.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, succeeded over Biggs. She had 1.34 million votes to Biggs’s 1 million, according to unofficial results.
