Trump flexes GOP muscle in Arizona primaries as Dems dodge far-left upset

President Donald Trump’s sway within the GOP was on display in Arizona’s primaries Tuesday night, as his endorsed candidates powered through key Republican contests while Democrats avoided a far-left upset in one of the state’s House races.

But Trump’s influence in Republican primaries was the top storyline of the night, with his endorsed candidates powering through key contests up and down the ballot.

Rep. Andy Biggs, a former House Freedom Caucus chair who landed Trump’s endorsement, easily captured the GOP nomination for governor, topping Rep. David Schweikert and the rest of the Republican field by over 50 points.

Meanwhile, former NFL kicker Jay Feely, who received Trump’s “complete and total endorsement” in the final stretch, also won the GOP primary in Arizona’s competitive 1st Congressional District. 

TRUMP-BACKED FIREBRAND WINS ARIZONA GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN

Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, another Trump-backed candidate, won the GOP primary in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, the deep-red seat Biggs is vacating to run for governor, and Trump-backed Juan Ciscomani advanced in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District after running unopposed.

Biggs’ win sets up a high-stakes general election against Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who cruised to renomination after running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Hobbs, a former Arizona Secretary of State, narrowly defeated then-GOP nominee Kari Lake four years ago and now heads into a second-term fight against one of Trump’s most prominent allies in Congress.

The race in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, where former NFL kicker Jay Feely came out victorious in the GOP primary Tuesday night, is a rare open seat contest as Schweikert, who has held the seat but gave it up to run for governor, created an open-seat battle in the suburban Arizona district.

The Phoenix-area district includes northeastern Maricopa County and large parts of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Fountain Hills. Feely now moves into a general election fight, where he is expected to face former state Rep. Amish Shah, who was up by almost 9 points early Wednesday morning. The Associated Press hadn’t called the race as of 3AM Wednesday

EX-NFL STAR BACKED BY TRUMP WINS BATTLEGROUND STATE PRIMARY: ‘TRUE AMERICA FIRST CONSERVATIVE’

Lamb’s win in Arizona’s 5th District gave Trump another victory in a reliably Republican seat and positioned the former Pinal County sheriff to replace Biggs in Congress. Lamb, who has campaigned on “God, family, freedom” and echoed Biggs’ hard-line border message, heads into the general election as the favorite in a district that heavily leans Republican, even after his campaign faced scrutiny earlier this year over allegations involving inappropriate messages to women outside his marriage.

While Trump-backed Republicans powered through their primaries, Democrats avoided a potentially damaging left-wing upset in Arizona’s 4th District, where Rep. Greg Stanton held off progressive challenger Kai Newkirk.

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Newkirk challenged Stanton from the left, making the race a test of whether the left-wing energy that has shaken Democratic primaries elsewhere could break through in Arizona. Stanton’s win blunted that narrative, at least for one night, and spared Democrats from having to defend a more polarizing nominee in a battleground Sun Belt district.

The result gave establishment Democrats a needed win after a cycle in which progressive challengers have increasingly pressured incumbents over issues including Israel, ICE, health care and corporate influence.