Who is Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb?

Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb announced Tuesday he's running for the U.S. Senate.

His decision makes him the first prominent Republican to enter the race for the seat held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. Here's what you need to know about Lamb and the race he's joining.

Lamb, 50, has been the sheriff of Pinal County since he won the 2016 and 2020 elections. He's a Republican and is prominent in conservative media discussing border security and the influx of drugs.

He reliably notes a surge in illegal border crossings he attributes to migrants who see President Joe Biden as allowing their entry.

Lamb warns that drug and human traffickers are passing through his county on their way to other parts of the U.S., fueling the fentanyl crisis playing out across the nation.

Who is Mark Lamb and what is his background?

Lamb grew up in Hawaii and lived in the Philippines, Panama and Argentina.

He lived in Utah before coming to Arizona, where he had a pest-control business before turning to law enforcement.

Since winning the Pinal County sheriff's job, Lamb has founded nonprofits advocating for sheriffs and another intended to help the needy. He's written a pair of self-published books that outline his values and outlook as a sheriff. He's also prominently involved with a website that publishes reality TV-style law enforcement video clips for subscribers.

Lamb's 22-year-old son Cooper and his 1-year-old granddaughter were killed in a car crash eight days before Christmas. In his campaign launch video, Lamb acknowledged his son battled drug addiction. It is an event that Lamb casts as indicative of the authentic background he brings to his Senate run.

What are Mark Lamb's political views?

Lamb is a strong supporter of gun rights and emphasizes "law and order" as a principle of his candidacy.

Chief among his issues is what he sees as a need for improved security along the border with Mexico. He wants to continue the wall begun under former President Donald Trump and wants a crackdown on the importation of fentanyl-laced drugs in America.

He has made waves in the past for his unwillingness to enforce quarantine orders in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lamb has made statements casting doubt on the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, including a speech in Phoenix on Jan. 6, 2021, in which he reportedly complained about "issues with the vote" and that freedoms were being stripped away.

In testimony to Congress earlier this year, Lamb said he saw "zero evidence" of widespread fraud in his county.

What does Mark Lamb's Senate candidacy mean?

Lamb becomes the first notable Republican to formally enter the race for Sinema's seat.

Sinema, who was elected to the Senate in 2018, added new drama to Arizona's fifth consecutive election cycle with a Senate race when she announced in December she was leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent. It came as her popularity with Democrats had plummeted.

She has filed preliminary paperwork to run for reelection, but hasn't formally said she is in the race.

Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., entered the race in January and, at least for now, has no major challenger in his party.

Other Republicans, including Kari Lake, the 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee, are considering Senate runs as well.

Lake continues to press legal challenges to her narrow election loss to Gov. Katie Hobbs and is interested in serving as President Donald Trump's vice presidential nominee, according to Republican operatives.

Lamb's entry assures that both major parties intend to pursue the seat, and Sinema could turn it into a rare, three-way contest. For now, Lamb gives Republicans an option, and, if others join the field, could give the GOP a test of how much they are willing to break from past elections.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What to know about Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, US Senate candidate