Crowded GOP field for Arizona attorney general centering on border, election fraud

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — The attorney general is one of the most important and powerful offices in Arizona. Republicans have held the office for the past decade, and six candidates are running in the GOP primary this year who aim to keep it that way. Driving that race is the same issues driving other Republican primaries across the state and the country, hammering on Democratic President Joe Biden’s policies, the border and unproven claims of election fraud.

Abraham Hamadeh, who is the youngest candidate in race, is a former Maricopa County prosecutor and Army intelligence officer. Recently he picked the endorsement of Donald Trump, which could prove pivotal in a crowded field. Like the former president, Hamadeh continues pushing baseless election fraud claims. Andrew Gould has the most extensive legal background in the race after serving five years on the state Supreme Court. He wouldn’t say if he thinks the 2020 election was fair during a recent appearance on Arizona Family’s Politics Unplugged. One of his top priorities, like other candidates seeking the nomination, is border security. Gould has a 10-point plan to crack down on drug dealers and cartels based on arresting them for trespassing once they step foot on Arizona soil. “We seize the fentanyl, the guns, the drugs and we prosecute based in that and all the crimes that are committed with it,” he told Arizona’s Family in May.

Lacy Cooper, who served as the border security section chief for the U.S. Attorney’s Office under the Trump administration, is also focusing on the border. Business executive Dawn Grove was outspoken against mask and vaccine mandates during an interview last month. “I can’t stand to see the federal government overreaching on businesses and trying to turn private businesses into their enforcement arm to carry out mandates they didn’t have legal authority for,” she said.

Rodney Glassman, who was the 2010 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate before he switched parties, made waves during a recent debate when he said he would run the attorney general’s office like a conservative activist. And Tiffany Shedd, a small business owner and a lawyer, has run on many of the same issues, including election reform and protecting gun rights.

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