Republican Mark Lamb has pulled ahead of Democrat Elizabeth Lee as election workers continue tabulates in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, shifting the early trajectory of the race in the historically conservative East Valley stronghold.
According to updated election figures reported by a local news report, Lee initially held a surprising lead of 4 percentage points over Lamb after the first batch of results was released on Election Day. However, as additional ballots were processed overnight, Lamb erased the deficit and established a 51% to 48.8% lead as of 5 a.m. Wednesday.
The open congressional seat covers a broad portion of the East Valley and extends into parts of Pinal County, including the communities of Queen Creek and Apache Junction. The seat was vacated by Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, who has represented the 5th Congressional District since 2017 but opted to run for Arizona governor rather than seek reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Lamb, who previously served as the Pinal County sheriff, secured the Republican nomination after winning his primary election with an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. His primary campaign weathered allegations involving threats, text messages, and controversial statements, all of which Lamb denied. Outside of his law enforcement background, Lamb made a substantial real estate purchase, acquiring $3 million in property in Tennessee to launch a ranch business.
Lee, a registered nurse, previously belonged to the Republican Party before changing her voter registration in 2018. Campaigning as a progressive candidate, Lee centered her platform on supporting Medicare for All and advocating for policy limits on local data center developments.
Campaign strategy diverged sharply between the two candidates in the weeks leading up to the election. Lamb opted not to participate in the sole general election debate hosted for the district. During that debate event, Lee addressed his absence by deploying one of Lamb's own past statements against him, noting that voters could not expect candidates who fail to show up locally to advocate for them in Washington, D.C. The phrase referenced remarks Lamb had previously made while debating alone during his 2024 primary campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Throughout the general election cycle, Lamb focused his media appearances on partisan podcasts while avoiding formal news interviews with journalists, as reported by a local news report.
Financial disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission detail a major fundraising gap between the two campaigns. Lamb raised approximately $1.8 million in campaign contributions, representing nearly five times the $376,000 raised by Lee. Independent expenditure groups played a minimal role in the congressional contest, contributing less than $11,000 in total outside spending throughout the campaign.
As ballot counting proceeds across Maricopa and Pinal counties, election officials continue to update vote totals for the 5th Congressional District along with other state and federal contests across Arizona.