BREAKING: Blake Masters Announces Run For Congress In Arizona

On Thursday, former Arizona Senate candidate Black Masters (R-AZ) announced his run for Arizona's 8th congressional district. The news comes after the current Republican holding the seat, Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), announced her retirement earlier this month.

"I'm running for Congress, to fight for Arizona's 8th," Masters wrote on X/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."

Watch his announcement campaign video below:

Masters, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Mark Kelly (R-AZ) in the 2022 midterms, will be facing off against fellow Republican Abe Hamadeh, who narrowly lost his race for Arizona attorney general last year, for the safe Republican district.

"Our country is in desperate need of courageous fighters, and that's why I'm proud to announce I'm running for Congress in Arizona's 8th District," Hamadeh wrote last week. "President Trump is under attack. He needs back up — and I'm ready to help him Make America Great Again."

Both men announced their candidacy after Rep. Lesko explained to her constituents that she would not be seeking re-election after her term ends in January 2025 in order to spend more time with her family.

"It has been a great honor to serve the people of Arizona's 8th Congressional District in Congress, however, I have decided not to run for re-election in 2024," she said in a statement. "I want to spend more time with my husband, my 94-year-old mother, my three children and my five grandchildren."

The district has a solidly Republican constituency, with Lesko besting her Democrat opponent in 2020 with 59.6 percent of the vote. In 2022, she ran unopposed. 

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.

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