Ex-sheriff backed by Trump storms to victory in race to replace longtime GOP firebrand

Sheriff of Pinal County Mark Lamb speaks during Republican Senate candidate Jim Lamons town hall event at the Combs Performing Art Center in San Tan Valley, Ariz., on Thursday, Jul.7, 2022.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“That’s why I’m running for Congress.We gotta make sure our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren have the same freedoms that we have,” Lamb said ina campaign video.

The seat came open when Biggs, R-Ariz., announced he wouldrun for governorlast year.

“Arizona has a bright future, but we will need strong leadership to reach its full potential,” Biggs said ina press release.“I have been honored to serve Arizona at the state and federal levels and will bring my experience home to my native state to help fulfill its tremendous capacity.”

The seat is one of the state’smost reliably Republican— and became more so after the state’s redistricting in 2022.Biggs last won reelection in 2024 in a 60.4% to 39.6% victory over Democratic challenger Katrina Schaffner.

During his time in office, Biggs was one of Trump’s most prominent backers, pushing for aggressive conservative stances on areas likefederal spending and border enforcement.

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President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 16, 2026.(Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

For his own part, Lamb has echoed many of Biggs’ priorities.

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“The Joe Biden administration came in, and immediately, overnight, we started seeing hundreds of thousands of people — the majority of these men were military-age men from all over the world.Many of them didn’t love America,” Lamb said in a campaign video.

“We stood by as our government not only allowed them to come in but rolled out the red carpet for people that broke our law.”

Lamb’s campaign came under scrutiny earlier this year when an Arizona investigation found that Lamb allegedly had a track record of sending sexual images to women outside of his marriage.

Janel Lamb, Mark Lamb’s wife, has called the accusations a political stunt.

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Rep.Andy Biggs (R-AZ) speaks during a Turning Point USA event at Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 17, 2026(Evelyn Hockstein/REUTERS)

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“Politics can be dark and ugly, but if you know us, you know that’s not how we roll.The only way to dispel darkness is not with more darkness, only light.After all we’ve been through, a massive smear campaign is certainly not going to stop us from doing what we know is right,” Janel Lamb saidin a postto Facebook.

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Having cleared the primary, Lamb will head to the general election on Nov.3.

He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.