Phoenix — P.Null County Sheriff Mark LambThe only Republican running for the Arizona Senate, he has worked to raise his profile among Republican voters.

In recent years, Lam has focused on criticizing immigration, increased border security and the need for a COVID-19 vaccine.

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After several disappointing cycles statewide for Grand Canyon Republicans, the 50-year-old sheriff from a county located between Phoenix and Tucson has stepped forward as the candidate who can unite a divided party. raising.He also says he can attract criticism nonpartisan voters They dominated elections in Arizona in recent years.

“Arizona people want someone who is authentic and wants to represent the people of Arizona, so that’s my focus,” Lamb said in an interview. Washington Examiner.

Lam, who has been president since 2017, announced his candidacy in early April, but so far, flame merchant Kari Lake has run for Senator Kirsten Cinema of Arizona, Iowa. After teasing the scene, the scene seems to be frozen. ). The race is poised to become a three-way battle after Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) announced earlier this year that he would be running for Cinema’s seat. Cinema did not say whether he would run for office, but suggested he was preparing to run for office.

Many insiders expect Lake to be the frontrunner for the Republican nomination if she decides to run, but her narrow loss in the 2022 gubernatorial race has left some uncertainty about her suitability. The potential remains open, potentially leaving candidates like Lamb with a chance.

“You can’t control what other people do or say, but you can control your own actions and efforts,” Lam said. “What I’m really trying to do is focus on the things that need to be done, like fundraising, raising awareness, and showing people in Arizona that I’m a proven conservative warrior.”

Since cinema’s victory in 2018, Arizona has gone from being a solid red state to one of the nation’s most competitive battlegrounds. In 2020, President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump in the state and helped secure the White House. In December 2020, Arizona had two Democratic senators for the first time since 1952 after Mark Kelly was sworn into office. In 2022, Lake and three other Republicans who were running for major statewide offices were defeated. It was the first time since 1950 that Democrats held all major statewide positions.

“It was amazing and difficult to watch. That’s part of why I’m in the race. You couldn’t sit on the sidelines,” Lam said. “I don’t want to be the one who just complains about it. I want to do something about it.”

Lam’s campaign is expected to focus on cracking down on illegal immigration and drug smuggling at the border. In a video announcing his candidacy, he vowed to fight drug cartels and called on the U.S. military to “wipe them out like they did against ISIS.”

As chief law enforcement officer in Arizona’s third-most populous county, he said he has encountered traffickers and drug traffickers first-hand and continues to criticize the Biden administration’s handling of the southern border. .

“For better or for worse, the border issue is the number one issue for most Arizonans, and for most Americans at the same time. And honestly, it’s one of the things I have to deal with and understand. It’s in the conning tower,” Lam said. He said. “I think there are a lot of things that I think would be a great fit for me on some of the major issues we are working on, like border security and increasing crime. Probably better than any candidate.”

The sheriff said he has been an outspoken supporter of President Trump, but has decided not to endorse any candidate in the Republican presidential primary. The former president lost in Arizona in 2020, and Trump ally Senate candidate Blake Masters lost last year’s race by five points.

“I have never been involved in any endorsements in the primaries. I think these are the races that everyone needs to run for themselves,” Lamb said of Trump’s third White House run. said, avoiding the question of whether he intended to support

Mr. Lamb has a complicated background with the election controversy that has roiled the Republican Party in recent years.he used to Supported Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, defended Officials gathered at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and he said he would investigate voter fraud in the 2022 midterm elections.

Lamb appears to have distanced himself from that theory after Republicans from Arizona lost the general election after accepting Trump’s false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.

“I don’t know. I haven’t done enough research,” Lam said, dodging questions about whether the last two elections were fair. “I don’t know what evidence they have in Maricopa County. I think we did our best to get the results right in Pinal County.”

and congressional hearings Earlier this year, Lam said there was “zero evidence” of wrongdoing that could have affected the 2020 results.

Mr. Lamb appears to be courting the party’s establishment wing after recently meeting Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R, Kentucky) in Washington and officials from the National Republican Senate Committee.

McConnell has criticized candidates who align with Trump and has been active in avoiding repeating the mistakes of the 2022 midterm election cycle, when a favorable political environment was not reflected at polling stations. Republicans lost seats and Senate Democrats won a 51-49 majority. McConnell-aligned groups withdrew their support for the Masters race, which was ultimately lost to Democratic incumbent Mark Kelly.

“I was just the other day in Washington, D.C., talking to a few senators, the NRSC — again discussing the state of our race,” Lamb said. “I would like to hopefully not only have support from Republicans and independents in Arizona, but also support from a national level to take back the state.”

McConnell recently hinted that the Republican Party is still weighing the Arizona Senate race, and expressed some hesitation over whether the Republicans want to invest resources.in an interview with CNN He stressed in May that Republicans would likely wait to see what happens in the primary before deciding to participate.

Ahead of a potentially controversial primary, Mr. Lamb is viewed favorably by many Arizona Republicans, but some Arizona operatives don’t see this level of attention. Others are skeptical that Mr. Lam can rise to the top in a highly competitive election.

Republican strategist Daniel Scarpinato, who served as chief of staff to former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, said, “I think he’s a great guy, he’s done a great job as a sheriff, and I think he’s up for something. ‘ said.

“Mark Lamb’s path is going to be difficult to see in this race. He’s a real breakout sensation and has something that will help him get more known and make it through the primaries. I think we need to be there,” Scarpinato said. He said.

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Late last year, Lam suffered a personal tragedy when his 22-year-old son, his son’s fiancée and 1-year-old daughter lost their lives. killed in a car accident. Lamb said his son Cooper, who had battled drugs and spent time in prison, was sober at the time of the accident. Mr Lam said their death was a turning point in his determination to pursue higher public office.

“When you lose someone like that, it’s always with you,” Lam said. “That plays a big part in why we decided to do this. Maybe that’s the last thing that made my wife and I feel like this was definitely something we had to do.” That’s how it was.”