Former Pinal County sheriff Mark Lamb won the Republican primary for Arizona's 5th Congressional District on Tuesday, July 22, 2026, according to projections by the Associated Press. Lamb defeated construction business owner Daniel Keenan, who invested over $1.5 million of his own money into the campaign.

Lamb served as sheriff of Pinal County from 2017 to 2024. His victory comes amid allegations reported by the Arizona Republic after a months-long investigation. Several women accused Lamb of sending explicit messages and nude photos, using threats or intimidation to cover up the behavior, initiating sexual encounters involving himself, his wife, and others, and making racist jokes and derogatory remarks in messages with a border extremist. Lamb has denied these allegations.

One woman also accused the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of burying her complaints after she reported Lamb's alleged behavior to church leaders. In response to the controversy, Lamb's wife posted on Facebook in May: "after all we've been through, a massive smear campaign is certainly not going to stop us from doing what's right."

In related Arizona political news, Andy Biggs, who has served five terms in the House, won the Republican nomination for Arizona governor.

Lamb's campaign may have benefited from former President Trump's endorsement, which some analysts suggest gave him an edge over Keenan despite the controversy.

Sources

Reported by Caitlin Yilek, politics reporter at CBSNews.com, Washington, D.C.