Ben Toma, state House speaker, officially running to replace Rep. Debbie Lesko in Congress

Arizona House speaker Ben Toma said Thursday he is running to replace U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko with her support.

Lesko, R-Ariz., said she will not seek reelection in Arizona's 8th Congressional District, and Toma, R-Peoria, is the latest GOP candidate to jump into the crowded Republican primary race.

Lesko formally endorsed Toma as her successor with a written statement.

“Ben Toma lives in our district. He knows our district. He cares about the people that live in our district. As a legislator and Speaker of the Arizona House, Ben has a proven, conservative track record for getting things done and for standing up for the principles that have made our nation great," Lesko said. "Now, more than ever, we need principled, experienced leaders, like Ben Toma, who will stand up for our values and advance our conservative priorities in Congress. I’m proud to endorse Ben Toma for Congress and will be working hard to get him elected because I know he will do a great job!”

The district leans heavily Republican, making it likely the primary winner will hold the seat.

Toma made announced his candidacy on KFYI (550 AM) radio.

Other Republicans running for the seat include Blake Masters, who lost his 2022 bid for U.S. Senate; Abe Hamadeh, a former candidate for Arizona attorney general; state Sen. Anthony Kern of Glendale; Trent Franks, who resigned from the seat amid controversy in 2017; Seth Coates; Isiah Gallegos; Jimmy Rodriguez; Rollie Stevens; and Brandon Urness.

"Washington is a mess," Toma said on the radio after his announcement. "The issues at the border, the security problems we have here in Arizona, the illegal immigration, the fentanyl, human trafficking, all that crazy stuff. We need somebody there that can work under pressure, that can work with a complex and divided caucus, and I've proven as speaker that I've been able to do that."

Toma said Lesko was "all in" for endorsing him.

Toma continued on his qualifications.

"When they said school choice would be impossible, I found a way," he said, citing his record in the Arizona Legislature. "When they said the flat tax would be impossible I found a way. ... We'll go over there and start to fix things."

Toma, 45, was born in Romania and came to Arizona when he was 17. He served on the Peoria City Council before joining the state Legislature in 2017, replacing Phil Lovas, who resigned.

He and his wife, Ani, own Century 21 Toma Partners real estate brokerage, and have five daughters. Toma previously worked in business analytics for American Express.

Reach reporter Ryan Randazzo at ryan.randazzo@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4331. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @UtilityReporter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ben Toma running to replace Debbie Lesko in 8th Congressional District