Trump undecided, endorses both Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh in a close Republican primary in Arizona

Donald Trump expanded his endorsement in the hard-fought Republican primary for Arizona's eighth congressional district in the House of Representatives. Despite initially supporting Abe Hamadeh, the former president announced he is also backing Blake Masters, assuring voters that "both will be spectacular." The primaries will take place next Tuesday, July 30. 

Both candidates went from being close allies to having a hostile relationship in less than two years. Both Masters and Hamadeh won Trump's endorsement in 2022, when they tried unsuccessfully to run for senator and attorney general. 

Masters was defeated by Mark Kelly, who may now be a possible running mate for Kamala Harris, while Hamadeh starred in the Grand Canyon State's closest election, falling to Kris Mayes by 280 votes among more than 2.5 million. 

Masters, Hamadeh and the race for Debbie Lesko's seat

When Congresswoman Lesko announced she would not seek re-election, a diverse array of Republicans threw their names in ring for the primary, including former congressman Trent Franks, state senator Anthony Kern and local House Speaker Ben Toma. 

Among all of them, Hamadeh took the initial lead after Trump's endorsement, but Masters bounced back in the final weeks of campaigning thanks to the name recognition he gained in 2022 and the large amount of money spent on ads, which evened out the race. The competition between the two intensified throughout the campaign and the tension showed in the debate, where they didn't exactly exchange praise.   

With less than five days to go before the primary, Trump decided to confuse voters in the 8th District a bit and expand his endorsement of Masters, which he announced via his Truth Social account. 

"Blake Masters is a very successful businessman, and an incredibly strong supporter of our Movement to Make America Great Again - He is smart and tough! Likewise, Abe Hamadeh, a Veteran, former prosecutor, and fearless fighter for Election Integrity, has been with me all the way!" he wrote. 

"In Congress, we need a true Warrior who will work tirelessly with us to Grow our Economy, Stop Inflation, Secure our Border, End Migrant Crime, Support our Great Military/Vets, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment - They will both be spectacular, and I’m pleased to announce that both Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh have my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Congressman of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District — THEY WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!", Trump added. 

Hamadeh also has the endorsement of Kari Lake, who spoke with VOZ during the Republican National Convention (RNC). 

This race happened to be one of the few where the former president and JD Vance had endorsed different candidates, given that Trump had initially gone for Hanadeh and Vance had gone for Masters.

The latest polls have Masters barely ahead of Hamadeh, although Toma has been gaining traction among voters in the district. He managed to position himself in a close third place and is threatening to pull off an upset on Election Day.

Either is expected to win easily in the general election, given that Lesko won her last election unopposed.