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Republican congressional candidate Abe Hamadeh called election deniers “crazies” in texts that were sent to Blake Masters, who is currently running against Hamadeh in the race’s primary.
The texts, which were first reported by the Daily Mail, were sent in January 2023 following Hamadeh’s loss in Arizona’s attorney general race against current Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. The MAGA-friendly Hamadeh — who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and Arizona senate candidate Kari Lake — has pushed election lies about that 2022 election, as well as unfounded claims about election security. But in private, he seemingly thought less of those who believed lies about the 2020 election. Laura Gersony of The Arizona Republic, which also obtained the texts, wrote:
In the texts, dated January 2023, his now-primary opponent Blake Masters reached out to express sympathy over Hamadeh’s loss in the 2022 Arizona attorney general’s race. Hamadeh responded that he was “doing great” despite having lost the race.
“No matter what happens I’m winning right now. I’m not lumped in with crazies with election stuff because I’m so close at 280,” Hamadeh went on to explain, referencing his narrow margin of loss. “But the crazies love because they see me fighting.”
“Win win,” he wrote to Masters, who has since become Hamadeh’s primary opponent in the race for retiring U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko’s seat.
Masters was the one who provided the texts to Daily Mail, and after they became public on Wednesday, Hamadeh called Masters a “‘Friend’ turned snake” on Twitter/X. His campaign spokesperson Erica Knight said: “This is nothing more than a sad and vindictive scheme to undermine President Trump after he refused to endorse him and his lies continue to prove why the grassroots is abandoning him: he is a coward without a conscience.”
For his part, Masters told The Arizona Republic: “The truth (is) that Abe is a shape shifter. His whole posture has been to manipulate people in order to advance his political career. So he will gladly mock his supporters as crazy and laugh behind their backs, while pretending to be their champion in public. The people of Arizona’s 8th congressional district deserve better.”
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