Representative in Congress District 8 in Congressional District 8, Arizona

2026 Primary Election

• Abraham "abe" Hamadeh — Incumbent U.S. Representative in AZ

  Abraham "Abe" Hamadeh is the incumbent U.S. Representative for Arizona's 8th Congressional District, having served since January 3, 2025. Born in Chicago in 1991, the 35-year-old earned degrees from Arizona State University and the University of Arizona College of Law. His background includes service as a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve and work as a prosecutor in Maricopa County. A Republican, Hamadeh is seeking re-election in the 2026 primary for his district. In Congress, he has sponsored legislation supporting veterans, such as the "Improving Emerging Tech Opportunities for Veterans Act," and a resolution condemning an alleged assassination attempt on President Donald J. Trump. He serves on committees including Judiciary, Homeland Security, Veterans' Affairs, and Armed Services.

• Bernadette Greene-Placentia — Owner of a small-fleet trucking company and independent long-haul truck driver in Surprise, AZ

  Bernadette Greene-Placentia is a candidate for Congress in Arizona’s 8th District, challenging incumbent MAGA Republican Abe Hamadeh. With 27 years in transportation, she is a retired small-fleet trucking company owner and an independent long-haul truck driver. Greene-Placentia, who grew up in the rural Midwest, frames herself as an everyday individual, not a politician, aiming to represent all constituents. Her policy priorities include protecting Social Security and Medicare, securing borders humanely, ensuring affordable healthcare, defending reproductive freedom, and advocating for working middle-class families. She is running to fight for those overlooked by politicians.

• Raymond "ray" Keeler — Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in AZ

  Raymond "Ray" Keeler is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Arizona's 8th Congressional District for the 2026 primary election. A U.S. Army Veteran from the 82nd Airborne Division, he is also an ASU graduate with degrees in math and computer science, boasting over 30 years in avionics software. An Eagle Scout and proud conservationist, Keeler is running to replace the Republican incumbent, Abraham Hamadeh, and turn the district blue. His platform focuses on re-establishing Congress as a co-equal branch, reducing inflation by removing tariffs, narrowing ICE's goals, expanding generic drug use, and protecting Social Security from privatization.

• Jessie Martines — Candidate for Representative in Congress in AZ

  Jessie Martines, a veteran of the U.S. Army who served from 1992 to 1998, ran for the U.S. House in Arizona's 8th Congressional District in 2026. He was slated to run under the No Labels Party but withdrew from the primary. His campaign, built on a "People First" philosophy, advocates for policies such as universal healthcare, increased teacher compensation, free school lunches, and free education up to grad school. Martines also champions limiting corporate purchasing of residential property, getting big money out of politics, stopping corporate subsidies, increasing taxes on the rich, banning congressional stock trading, and supporting term limits for Congress. He frames his candidacy as a stand against "oligarchy rule," aiming to return government control to the American people.