Politics
NewsOnScale Staff
October 4, 2026
Arizona's 5th Congressional District was supposed to be a safe Republican seat. It may not be anymore.
Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb won the Republican primary in July despite a detailed investigation by The Arizona Republic that published allegations of sexting, extramarital affairs, explicit photo sharing, racist and homophobic text messages, and threats against women who spoke out. Trump endorsed him before the allegations surfaced, then reaffirmed the endorsement afterward, calling Lamb a "MAGA Warrior."
Lamb has not publicly addressed the allegations in detail and has declined interview requests.
The fallout from the LDS community has been significant. Lamb is a member of the Mormon church, which conducted its own internal probe after one of the women submitted explicit material allegedly involving Lamb to church officials. NPR reports that Latter-day Saints women in Arizona are turning away from Lamb, potentially in large enough numbers to affect the outcome in what has historically been a reliably Republican district.
Fellow Republicans have not been uniformly supportive. Former Arizona Supreme Court justice Jeff Flake called the alleged threats against women an abuse of power, not just a moral failing. Two Republican gubernatorial candidates publicly questioned Lamb's conduct. One called his behavior "borders on immoral."
Democrats see an opening. The Democratic candidate has received increased fundraising and outside support since the allegations became public.
Trump has not pulled his endorsement. He called Lamb a candidate who will "never let you down."
The midterms are five weeks away.
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