Audio By Carbonatix Wherever We're Needed. We're There. From the stories making headlines to the restaurants, music and culture that make Phoenix one of a kind, New Times is there. Help us raise $25,000 by December 31 to keep independent local journalism going strong in 2027. Fewer than three days after polls closed on election night, the Associated Press called Arizona’s 8th Congressional District for incumbent MAGA Republican U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh. In a statement to Phoenix New Times, Democrat Bernadette Greene-Placentia’s campaign said it is “incredibly proud” of what it’s built and will “continue to follow the vote count closely and remain committed to the people of our district.” “We always knew this would be a tough race, and our focus remains on making sure every vote is counted and every voice is heard,” the statement continued. “The voters of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District deserve nothing less.” Despite results initially showing dark-horse candidate Greene-Placentia in the lead Tuesday night, Hamadeh officially held off his challenger Friday afternoon. The deep-red district covers parts of Glendale, Surprise, Sun City, Peoria and Anthem. By the time the race was called, Hamadeh led Greene-Placentia by 7,317 votes with 51.3% of ballots cast for him. Greene-Placentia made national headlines in October after New Times broke the story that she’d been raped by two unknown men while repairing campaign signs around 2 a.m. in her district in August. The unknown men hit her over the head, knocked her out and raped her before running off into the dark. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the assault. Local Democratic leaders, including Gov. Katie Hobbs, were horrified and supported Greene-Placentia after the story broke. Her story also drew hate online and conspiracy theories. Amid the countrywide blue wave — that’s resulted in a Democratic trifecta in Arizona — Greene-Placentia’s campaign gained serious ground compared to Hamadeh’s democratic challenger in 2024. That year, President Donald Trump won the northwest Valley district by 16 points. Hamadeh won by 13 points. But this year, the AP took days to call the tight race. Before Election Day was even over, underdog Greene-Placentia knew it was a long shot. Polls listed the district as a “Solid R.” She only had $370,000 in her campaign’s war chest, which is just eight percent of what Democrat Amish Shah’s campaign raised in Arizona’s first congressional district, which national Democrats targeted as a priority to flip. She made it clear her goal was to close the 2024 gap and run again, win or lose. “I will run again,” she told Phoenix New Times outside of a polling station Tuesday afternoon. “That’s part of sometimes earning voters’ trust, staying in the fight.” Neither Hamadeh nor Greene-Placentia immediately responded to New Times’ request to comment. Hobbs’ campaign didn’t respond either.