Arizona congressional candidate Blake Masters took a swipe at his Republican primary opponent Abe Hamadeh for not being married or having kids, claiming it shows his opponent does not have “skin in the game.”
In a campaign video published Tuesday, Masters laid out his policy goals and what his campaign called the “differences” between him and Hamadeh.
“I want to bring big tech under heel, I want to stop Bidenflation, there’s all these issues,” Masters said. “But the real reason —or a different cut on it anyway — is my family. I’ve got a wonderful wife and four beautiful boys. That’s called skin the game … what we don’t need is someone with no wife and kids, no skin in the game.”
Later in the campaign video, Masters attempted to link Hamadeh to illegal immigration. Hamadeh, a former U.S. Army intelligence officer, is the son of Syrian immigrants.
“We don’t need someone who supported amnesty in the past. We don’t need someone who owes his entire existence in this country to illegal immigration,” Masters said.
Masters and Hamadeh are running in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District with hopes of replacing Rep. Debbie Lesko (R), who announced last fall she would not run for reelection.
Masters’s campaign doubled down on his argument Wednesday after The Washington Post published an analysis of the candidate’s comments.
Reposting the link to the newspaper’s story, Masters’s campaign wrote on the social platform X, “The Washington Post is attacking Blake Masters for saying parents have skin in the game. When you have kids, it gives you an extra drive to create a better country for them. Nobody understands this more than @bgmasters.”
Hamadeh shot back at Masters and pointed to the sacrifices he made while serving in the U.S. Army Reserves.
“Like countless patriots who’ve served our nation in uniform, I’ve made profound sacrifices,” Hamadeh wrote in a statement to The Hill. “Blake Masters’ attack on my commitment to America, simply because I’ve chosen service over personal life, exposes his true character — a stark contrast to the values we veterans hold dear. I am utterly disgusted by his attacks, which undermine the sacrifices made by all who have served.”
In a separate post on X, Hamadeh called Masters “entitled, cowardly and easily manipulated” and argued his opponent did not have the “courage” to serve his nation.
Masters ran for the Senate in 2022 and lost to incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz). Prior to launching his House bid, it was speculated he would go for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-Ariz.) seat. She has since announced she will not run for reelection.
Hamadeh ran for attorney general in 2022 against now-Attorney General Kris Mayes and lost by fewer than 300 votes. He, Masters and Arizona Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake campaigned together in the 2022 election, and Lake endorsed Hamadeh’s bid.
Hamadeh also has the backing of former President Trump — the GOP presumptive presidential nominee — who said he will be a “warrior” in Congress.
Masters and Hamadeh will face off during Arizona’s July 30 primary among a crowded race of Republican primary candidates.