PHOENIX — Arizona Speaker of the House Ben Toma announced Thursday he will run for the congressional seat being vacated by Debbie Lesko. Lesko immediately endorsed Toma.
"He does have a head start in the sense that is the sweet spot of his district and he is a credible, likable, successful political figure from the area," said Republican Political Consultant Stan Barnes.
Arizona's 8th Congressional District encompasses much of the West Valley north to Anthem. It's been a consistent Republican vote in Congress and the prospect of an open seat is attracting Republicans whether they live in the district or not.
"It is all a big scrum of ambition and it's really going to take somebody with resources to break out of that scrum," Barnes said.
Toma joins a crowded field in next year's Republican primary. Former Congressman Trent Franks announced Wednesday he would seek the seat he once held. In 2017, Franks was forced to resign after two female staffers said he offered them money to be a surrogate mother.
"Five years ago is an eternity in politics. Most voters will not remember the reason, the shadow he left under," Barnes said.
State Senator Anthony Kern was outside the U.S. Capitol on January 6th and may now be under investigation for his part in Arizona's fake electors scheme.
Former Attorney General Candidate Abe Hamadeh and former Senate Candidate Blake Masters, who lost their respective races in 2022, are also running although neither lives in the district.
"The whole race is going to be the base of the Republican party. Donald Trump, America 1st, January 6th all of that is very popular among those voters and the candidates understand that," Barnes said. "Watch them marketing themselves as America first all the way."
A crowded field in a primary means it doesn't often take much to win, and Barnes warns, "Sometimes the best person doesn't always win because this is after all politics, and voters don't always get the memo."
