Arizona Republican Primary: Key Developments as Election Day Nears

Christy Kelly
Kari Lake, Blake Masters, Abe Hamadeh

The 2024 Arizona primary features fierce competition and high stakes. Radio talk show host Garrett Lewis on Monday hosted an all-star panel on “The Afternoon Addiction,” featuring Abe Hamadeh, State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), and Senate hopeful Kari Lake. They explored the current dynamics of the primary, dissecting key issues, candidate strategies, and the overall political climate.

Stephen Richer, the current Maricopa County Recorder, declared on social media, “As of July 28, we were up to 555,254 early ballot packet returns.” He noted that these numbers lag behind the 2022 primary total of 866,924 and the 2020 primary total of 860,704, predicting, “I suspect we will be in the 700s for this election.”

Congressional District 8: In a surprising last-minute development, last week, former President Trump endorsed both Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh, sending shockwaves through the voter base, say pundits. Talk show host Lewis expressed that this sudden “endorsement might be too late, as many voters have already cast their ballots or firmly decided.”

Hamadeh told the radio host that “Blake has his allies that are very powerful.” He criticized Masters for being deceptive about Trump’s endorsement, claiming that Masters is entitled and abandoned Arizona after the 2022 elections. Confidently, Hamadeh predicted his success in the primary.

The race between Masters and Hamadeh has been particularly brutal, with very aggressive attack ads, claim pundits. Hamadeh, trying to reassure his supporters, posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) telling his mother that the intense campaign is almost over and she can “watch tv again.”

Congressional District 7: The Arizona Fraternal Order of Police has rescinded its endorsement of incumbent State Senator Justine Wadsack (R-Tucson). The Tucson Sentinel reported the March 15 traffic stop on July 12, where Wadsack, initially protected by legislative immunity, was later cited for driving 71 mph in a 35 mph zone.

The police chief alleged that Wadsack labeled the incident as “political persecution.” The police union cited her “demeaning” statements about law enforcement as the reason for withdrawing support. Wadsack took to social media and told her side of the story.

Hoffman took to Twitter and repeated the substance of his tweet on Garrett Lewis’ radio show, criticizing Vince Leach and his efforts against Wadsack. Leach was defeated by Wadsack in 2022 and now the moderate Republican is back to claim his seat.

Last Minute Pitch: Kari Lake dialed into the The Afternoon Addiction after she held a tele-rally with President Trump. Lake reported that 24,000 Arizonans dialed into the call.

At the virtual rally, neither Trump nor Lake spoke of Trump’s last-minute endorsement of Masters.

Lake told Garrett Lewis that she wanted as many people as possible to get out to vote. She encouraged people to vote for herself and Abe Hamadeh. Kari Lake invited Arizonans to her watch party for the primary results on July 30.

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Christy Kelly is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Christy on Twitter / X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photos “Kari Lake,” Blake Masters,” and Abe Hamadeh” by Gage Skidmore CC2.0.

 

 

 

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