Richard Mack (Arizona)
Richard Mack (Republican Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Arizona's 8th Congressional District. He lost in the special Republican primary on February 27, 2018.
Mack was a 2012 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 21st Congressional District of Texas.
Biography
Richard Mack, former Sheriff of Graham County, Arizona, was the first sheriff in the country to file a lawsuit against the Clinton administration to stop the gun control associated with the Brady Bill. Mack’s case was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, and which ruled 5-4 that provisions of the Brady Bill were indeed unconstitutional.
Mack spent 20 years in law enforcement and the past 17 years as a political activist. He has appeared at over 120 Tea Party rallies and authored five books on states’ rights, the oath of office and constitutional liberty.
Mack received a bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies and Sociology from Brigham Young University. He spent 11 years with the Provo, Utah Police Department and then moved to Arizona to run for Graham County Sheriff in 1988. While serving as sheriff, Mack received an invitation to attend the FBI National Academy, and he graduated in 1992. In 1994, he was named Elected Official of the Year by the Arizona-New Mexico Coalition of Counties and was inducted into the NRA Hall of Fame after being named NRA Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Gun Owners of America also awarded him the Defender of the Second Amendment Award. In 1997, he received the Samuel Adams award from The Local Sovereignty Coalition. In 2010, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Oath Keepers.
Campaign themes
2012
Mack's campaign website listed the following issues:[1]
- U.S. Constitution
- Excerpt: "All Congressmen swear a solemn oath to obey and uphold the U.S. Constitution. I will keep that oath. Our problems in this country are a result of failing to follow our Constitution. As your Congressman, I will uphold the Constitution, support State sovereignty and put Texas first."
- Gun rights
- Excerpt: "I will fight for the Second Amendment and the repeal of Federal gun control laws. No government, not State or Federal, has any authority to tell me what gun I can own or how I can carry it."
- Stop Online Piracy Act
- Excerpt: "I support free speech on the internet. Ample laws are already in place to secure copyrighted material. My opponent has authored legislation that would impose government control and censorship upon the internet, crippling a business sector where we have seen some of the strongest growth during an economically difficult time."
- Immigration
- Excerpt: "Immigration laws are not the problem. Enforcement, especially at the Federal level, is the problem. We have a legal route to citizenship that must be equally and fairly applied to all who wish to enter the USA."
- Border Security
- Excerpt: "Our borders are incredibly porous. Physical obstacles and technology must be used to prevent the entry of people who have chosen to come to this country illegally. Article 4, Section 4 of the Constitution requires the Federal government to protect our borders."
Elections
2018
General election
Special general election for U.S. House Arizona District 8
Incumbent Debbie Lesko defeated Hiral Tipirneni in the special general election for U.S. House Arizona District 8 on April 24, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Debbie Lesko (R)  | 52.4 | 96,012 |
 | Hiral Tipirneni (D) | 47.6 | 87,331 | |
| Total votes: 183,343 | |||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Augie Beyer (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Arizona District 8
Hiral Tipirneni defeated Brianna Westbrook in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Arizona District 8 on February 27, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Hiral Tipirneni | 60.2 | 23,175 |
 | Brianna Westbrook | 39.7 | 15,288 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 22 | ||
| Total votes: 38,485 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Special Republican primary for U.S. House Arizona District 8
The following candidates ran in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Arizona District 8 on February 27, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Debbie Lesko | 35.4 | 27,047 |
 | Phil Lovas | 24.3 | 18,562 | |
 | Steve Montenegro | 23.7 | 18,106 | |
 | Bob Stump | 5.3 | 4,032 | |
 | Clair Van Steenwyk | 2.3 | 1,787 | |
 | Christopher Sylvester | 1.9 | 1,490 | |
 | David Lien | 1.8 | 1,341 | |
 | Richard Mack | 1.6 | 1,191 | |
 | Mark Yates | 1.1 | 871 | |
| Chad Allen | 1.1 | 824 | ||
 | Brenden Dilley | 1.1 | 823 | |
| Stephen Dolgos | 0.5 | 377 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 8 | ||
| Total votes: 76,459 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Kevin Cavanaugh (R)
2012
Mack ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Texas' 21st District. He was defeated by incumbent Lamar Smith in the Republican primary on May 29, 2012.[2]
See also
- United States House of Representatives
- Arizona's 8th Congressional District special election, 2018
- Arizona's 8th Congressional District
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Campaign Website
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Facebook page
- Twitter feed
Footnotes
