Mark Lamb, who has received Donald Trump's endorsement, won the Republican primary for Arizona's 5th congressional district on Tuesday. Lamb defeated Daniel Keenan, a homebuilder who significantly outspent him, to secure the nomination in the solidly Republican district.
The seat became available when incumbent congressman Andy Biggs decided to run for governor.
Lamb, formerly the sheriff of Pinal County, has been the subject of numerous allegations, including claims of racist social media posts, abuse of power, and extramarital sexual behavior. He has denied these accusations.
According to a report by the Arizona Republic, Lamb and his wife, Janel, are alleged to have been open with friends about their sexual activities and partners, and to have shared nude and provocative photos. The couple are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Lamb has authored a book on "traditional values in a modern world."
Attorneys for Lamb have characterized the claims as "false," "baseless," and "harmful." A campaign spokesman described the allegations to The New York Times as "lies" and "slanderous claims that come from long-discredited individuals."
A friend of the Lambs, Jillian Stannard, alleged that Mark Lamb facilitated an affair between his wife and Stannard's husband, Matt Hilsabeck, who was also the chairman of Lamb's campaign committee. Stannard stated that this relationship contributed to the dissolution of her marriage and claimed the Lambs involved them in a swinging lifestyle.
Lamb has also been accused of exchanging flirtatious messages and explicit photos with multiple women, which he denies. One woman reported that Lamb sent intimate photos with the message, "think about that being you." Another woman, a law enforcement officer from Colorado, alleged that they discussed meeting for sex after connecting via his campaign's social media. She stated Lamb told her, "I am totally okay with excessively flirty. Hahahah!! … You never have to worry about offending me."
Former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould, now working on Lamb's campaign, dismissed such claims earlier this year, stating they had "circulated online for years" and were "repeated without verification and often to only cause great reputational and political harm."
During Lamb's previous reelection campaign for sheriff, flyers were circulated by opponents labeling him a "sexual predator" and "pervert" based on similar accusations. The Arizona Republic's report also revisited allegations from Tammy Peacock, who claimed she had a years-long affair with Lamb before her death in a 2021 car crash. Peacock had alleged that Lamb threatened legal action after she publicly discussed their relationship, which he has denied. Reported messages attributed to Lamb suggested he wrote, "Please just no more posting… I will call DPS," referencing the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and warned that sharing intimate material could violate Arizona's revenge porn law.
Lamb has consistently denied that he and his wife are swingers. He told the Phoenix New Times earlier this year that he is with "one woman—his wife."
Lamb gained national attention for his time as Pinal County Sheriff, with his department featured on A&E's "60 Days In" and "Live PD."
Lamb is projected to win the general election in November, as Arizona's 5th congressional district is rated "solid Republican" by the Cook Political Report with an R+10 partisan voter index.