Mark Lamb, a Republican who served as sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona, from 2017 to 2024, faces Democrat Elizabeth Lee for Arizona's open 5th congressional district seat in 2026.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Mark Lamb.
- Born
- July 14, 1972
- Birthplace
- Hilo, Hawaii
- Education
- Chandler High School (1990)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Mark Lamb was born in Hawaii and spent much of his childhood there, also living in Arizona, the Philippines, Panama and Argentina.
He graduated from Chandler High School in Arizona in 1990 and then moved to Utah to start a paintball business, which failed and went into bankruptcy, before returning to Arizona in 2003. Before entering law enforcement he worked in pest control.
Lamb is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his wife, Janel, is the author of a book titled The Sheriff's Wife.
Career
Lamb worked for six years in the police department of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and joined the Pinal County Sheriff's Office in 2012. He was elected sheriff of Pinal County to succeed Paul Babeu, took office on January 1, 2017, and ran unopposed for reelection in 2020.
As sheriff he appeared frequently on the television series Live PD and hosted its spinoff, Live PD: Wanted, and in February 2021 he co-founded Protect America Now, a coalition of 69 sheriffs. The American Sheriff Foundation, a charity he established in 2018, lost its status and was dissolved in 2024.
In April 2023 Lamb announced a campaign for the U.S. Senate seat held by Kyrsten Sinema, and in July 2024 he finished second to Kari Lake in the Republican primary. He stepped down as sheriff on December 31, 2024, and was succeeded by Ross Teeple.
2026 race
Arizona's 5th district, based in the East Valley including Gilbert and portions of Chandler and Mesa, is open in 2026 because Republican incumbent Andy Biggs is retiring to run for governor. Lamb entered the Republican primary in October 2025, campaigning on a platform of traditional values.
In July 2026, amid accusations of sexual misconduct and abuse of power that he denied, he won the nomination with 58.7% of the vote against construction contractor Daniel Keenan (41.3%).
The Pinal County Attorney's Office reviewed materials submitted to the county Board of Supervisors in 2020 and June 2026 and found "no evidence that Lamb acted in a criminal manner". In the general election on November 3, 2026, Lamb faces Democrat Elizabeth Lee, a nurse.