Abe Hamadeh Narrowly Survives Blue Onslaught in CD8

Representative Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) has been confirmed as the winner of Arizona's 8th Congressional District race, leaving him the only other Republican incumbent in the Grand Canyon State to be reelected so far.

The Results

Decision Desk HQ confirmed Rep. Hamadeh's victory on Friday, and the tally, with 95% of votes counted, puts him at 51.24% of the vote against Democrat challenger Bernadette Greene-Placentia's 48.76%.

AZ Family noted that Rep. Hamadeh won the district by 13 points in 2024, which highlights how much closer the 2026 results are.

Only Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ) won his reelection by double digits, and former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, the only new Arizona Republican going to Washington in January, won by 51.50% of the vote against Democrat Elizabeth Lee's 48.50%.

This leaves the 2nd Congressional District without a confirmed winner, and incumbent Representative Eli Crane's (R-AZ) chances of reelection are hanging by a thread, with DDHQ currently placing him at 49.68% of the vote against Democrat Jonathan Nez's 48.49%, with 93% of votes counted.

Hamadeh vs Greene-Placentia

In October, Greene-Placentia came forward with allegations that she had been sexually assaulted in August while cleaning up campaign signs, but did not report it to the police until two weeks later.

The case was met with skepticism, but she insisted that she did not stage the attack for votes.

Rep. Hamadeh, in a gesture of solidarity, announced that he would offer $10,000 of his own money for information leading to the arrest of the attackers, saying, "Nothing is more important to me than the safety and security of my constituents. As a former prosecutor who has fought for survivors of sexual assault, I am offering a reward for information leading to the capture and arrest of the two individuals responsible for this crime. Sexual assault is a serious violent offense. Survivors deserve justice, and those who commit these acts must be held accountable."