U.S. House · Arizona's 8th District

Northwest Phoenix metro area in Maricopa County, including Peoria, Surprise, Sun City, Sun City West, Anthem and part of Glendale.

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

✓ Fact-checked 2026-09-25: 14 claims re-checked against their sources

A second, independent research pass re-opened every cited source for this race and corrected or removed anything the source didn’t support.

On the ballot · 2 candidates

Where they stand — side by side

Only positions documented in a cited source are shown. Where an officeholder’s recorded votes speak to an issue, the votes set the position (marked “votes”). A dash means we found no clear public position — not that the candidate has none.

ISSUEAbraham Hamadeh
R
Bernadette Greene Placentia
D
Protect legal access to abortion—Supports[4]
Expand immigration enforcement and deportationsSupports[7][8][9][10]votesMixed[4]
Raise taxes on high earners or corporationsOpposes[8][9][10]votes—
Expand public health coverageOpposes[8][9][10][11]votesSupports[4]
Faster transition away from fossil fuelsOpposes[8][9][10]votes—
Increase police funding and staffingSupports[6]—
Broad tariffs on imported goodsSupports[12]votes—

The candidates, in full

Abraham Hamadeh

RINCUMBENTU.S. Representative (since 2025)

Abraham Hamadeh is the Republican incumbent U.S. Representative for Arizona's 8th Congressional District. He previously ran unsuccessfully for Arizona Attorney General in 2022.[1]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Key votes in Congress

  • NoWar Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities · H. Con. Res. 86 · Passed 215–208 · 2026-06-03 roll call ↗The resolution directs the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized, invoking the War Powers Resolution. It passed the House with support from Democrats and a number of Republicans.
  • NoResolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · H.J. Res. 72 · Passed 219–211 · 2026-02-11 roll call ↗The resolution terminates the national emergency the President declared in February 2025 to justify a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada, ending that tariff if it becomes law. It passed with a bipartisan majority, including several Republicans who broke with the administration on trade policy.
  • YesConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — full-year government funding · H.R. 7148 · Passed 217–214 · 2026-02-03 roll call ↗The bill provides full-year discretionary appropriations for federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, replacing the stopgap funding enacted after the fall 2025 shutdown. It sets spending levels across defense and non-defense programs through September 2026.
  • NoBreaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · H.R. 1834 · Passed 230–196 · 2026-01-08 roll call ↗The bill extends for additional years the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that were expanded in 2021 and had lapsed at the end of 2025, lowering health-insurance premiums for people who buy coverage on ACA marketplaces. It passed with support from nearly all Democrats and a small group of Republicans.
  • NoWar Powers Resolution on Venezuela · H. Con. Res. 64 · Failed 211–213 · 2025-12-17 roll call ↗The resolution would have directed the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela that Congress had not authorized. It failed after U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels off Venezuela had raised questions in Congress about the administration's legal authority for military action in the region.
  • YesNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passage · S. 1071 · Passed 312–112 · 2025-12-10 roll call ↗The fiscal year 2026 NDAA authorizes roughly $900 billion in defense spending, including a pay raise for service members and funding for shipbuilding, munitions, and missile-defense programs. It also sets policy on military personnel, procurement, and other Defense Department programs for the year.
  • YesEpstein Files Transparency Act · H.R. 4405 · Passed 427–1 · 2025-11-18 roll call ↗The bill directs the Department of Justice to publicly release its investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days, while allowing redactions to protect victim identities, ongoing investigations, and law enforcement techniques. It passed with near-unanimous support.
  • YesContinuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending vote · H.R. 5371 · Passed 222–209 · 2025-11-12 roll call ↗The bill reopened the federal government after a 43-day shutdown by funding most agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing full-year funding for a smaller group of agencies through September 2026. It also reversed shutdown-related federal layoffs and funded SNAP benefits retroactively.
  • YesCLARITY Act — digital asset market structure · H.R. 3633 · Passed 294–134 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The CLARITY Act creates a regulatory framework dividing oversight of digital assets between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It sets registration and disclosure requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges and other digital-asset intermediaries.
  • YesGENIUS Act — stablecoin regulation · S. 1582 · Passed 308–122 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The GENIUS Act creates a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, requiring issuers to hold reserves backing their tokens on a one-to-one basis and to comply with new disclosure and licensing rules. It was the first major piece of cryptocurrency legislation enacted into federal law.
  • YesOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 218–214 · 2025-07-03 roll call ↗H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extends and expands the 2017 tax cuts, adds new deductions for tips, overtime pay, and seniors, and raises the cap on state and local tax deductions. It increases border security and defense spending while cutting projected Medicaid and SNAP spending and adding new work requirements; President Trump signed it into law on July 4, 2025.
  • YesRescissions Act of 2025 · H.R. 4 · Passed 214–212 · 2025-06-12 roll call ↗The Rescissions Act canceled about $9 billion in previously approved federal spending, mostly for foreign aid programs and for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It was the first rescissions package Congress had approved in decades.
  • YesOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 215–214 · 2025-05-22 roll call ↗H.R. 1 extends and modifies the 2017 individual and business tax cuts, creates new deductions for tips and overtime pay, and increases spending on border security and defense. It also reduces projected spending on Medicaid and food-assistance programs and adds new work requirements for some recipients.
  • YesSAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registration · H.R. 22 · Passed 220–208 · 2025-04-10 roll call ↗The SAVE Act would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person when registering to vote in federal elections. It also directs states to establish procedures to remove noncitizens identified on voter rolls.
  • YesFull-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 · H.R. 1968 · Passed 217–213 · 2025-03-11 roll call ↗The bill funded the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2025, largely at prior-year spending levels, averting a shutdown ahead of a March 14 deadline. It also extended several expiring health and other program authorizations.
  • YesLaken Riley Act — final passage · S. 5 · Passed 263–156 · 2025-01-22 roll call ↗The Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested, charged, or convicted for theft, burglary, or certain violent crimes. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over certain immigration enforcement decisions.

On the record — official actions

  • actionServes on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs (2025-2026), on the Economic Opportunity and Health subcommittees.[1]
  • actionServes on the House Committee on Armed Services (2025-2026), on the Intelligence and Special Operations, Strategic Forces, and Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittees.[1]

Positions on the issues

  • SupportsExpand immigration enforcement and deportationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on Laken Riley Act (S. 5, 2025-01-22). Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which funded expanded immigration enforcement, detention and border operations.[7][8][9][10]

    What they say: Says Arizona's border security is a national priority, and describes accompanying the Pinal County Sheriff's Office to witness apprehensions at the border and working to give border law enforcement more resources.[5]

    “I went to see firsthand what our law enforcement officers are dealing with every single day and to ensure that we in Congress are doing everything possible to give them the tools, resources, and support they need to secure our border.”
  • SupportsIncrease police funding and staffing

    Announced delivering $7 million in federal funding to support Arizona law enforcement.[6]

  • OpposesExpand public health coverageFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements. Voted no on Breaking the Gridlock Act (H.R. 1834, 2026-01-08).[8][9][10][11]

  • OpposesFaster transition away from fossil fuelsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits.[8][9][10]

  • OpposesRaise taxes on high earners or corporationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent.[8][9][10]

  • SupportsBroad tariffs on imported goodsFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11).[12]

Background

  • Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1991.[1]
  • Earned an undergraduate degree in political science from Arizona State University in 2012 and a J.D. from the University of Arizona College of Law in 2016.[1]
  • Served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 2016 to 2022, reaching the rank of Captain, including a 14-month deployment to Saudi Arabia negotiating military sales and training the country's domestic security forces.[1][2]
  • Worked as a prosecutor in the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.[1]

Campaign money

Raised $1.2M · spent $859K · $384K cash on hand (through 2026-07-01) FEC filing ↗

Bernadette Greene Placentia

D

Bernadette Greene Placentia, a long-haul truck driver and small-business owner turned campaign manager, is the Democratic nominee challenging incumbent Abraham Hamadeh.[3]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Positions on the issues

  • SupportsExpand public health coverage

    Says she would work to expand Medicare and Medicaid and protect Social Security.[4]

    “I will fight to protect Social Security, expand Medicare and Medicaid, support our public schools, our Veterans and I want to increase support for Law Enforcement via better pay, better training, better equipment and better access to mental health care.”
  • SupportsProtect legal access to abortion

    Describes herself as pro-choice and says she would defend women's healthcare rights.[4]

    “I’m a pro-choice, pro-union, pro-Ukraine, life-long gun owner & Conservative Democrat.”
  • MixedExpand immigration enforcement and deportations

    Says the border needs to be secured but that the country also needs legal workers; supports reducing the flow of illegal drugs.[4]

    “We need to secure our border, but recognize the need for legal workers.”

In their words — priorities

  • Says she would fight to protect Social Security, expand Medicare and Medicaid, and support public schools and veterans.[4]
  • Says she supports securing the border while recognizing the need for legal workers, and wants to increase pay, training and mental-health resources for law enforcement.[4]
  • Describes herself as a pro-choice, pro-union, lifelong gun owner and self-described 'Conservative Democrat' who supports strengthening borders while protecting rights.[4]

Background

  • Born in Galesburg, Illinois; attended the University of Arizona.[3]
  • Worked as a long-haul truck driver and small fleet/small business owner for over 27 years and 3.5 million miles before working as a campaign manager for multiple candidates.[4]

Campaign money

Raised $209K · spent $18K · $190K cash on hand (through 2026-03-31) FEC filing ↗

Research notes & limits

Federal key roll-call votes and FEC finance totals for incumbent Abraham Hamadeh are added separately by script.

Sources · 12

Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.Abraham Hamadeh · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  2. 2.Abraham Hamadeh — Candidate Connection survey (2022, Attorney General race) · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2022-01-01 Candidate's own words
  3. 3.Bernadette Greene Placentia · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  4. 4.Bernadette Greene Placentia — Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2025-01-01 Candidate's own words
  5. 5.Arizona’s Border Security Is National Security · Office of Rep. Abraham Hamadeh · 2026-05-14 Candidate's own words
  6. 6.Congressman Hamadeh Secures $7 Million for Arizona Law Enforcement and Veterans · Office of Rep. Abraham Hamadeh · 2026-02-23 Candidate's own words
  7. 7.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-01-22 Official record
  8. 8.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-05-22 Official record
  9. 9.H.R. 1 (119th Congress) — One Big Beautiful Bill Act: text and summary · Congress.gov Official record
  10. 10.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-07-03 Official record
  11. 11.Roll call: Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-01-08 Official record
  12. 12.Roll call: Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-02-11 Official record