| State: | Arizona |
| District Number: | 8 |
| Image Caption: | Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 |
| Representative: | Debbie Lesko |
| Party: | Republican |
| Residence: | Peoria |
| English Area: | 9,057 |
| Percent Urban: | 87.3 |
| Percent Rural: | 12.7 |
| Population: | 811,500[1] |
| Population Year: | 2022 |
| Median Income: | $79,042[2] |
| Percent White: | 64.3 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 21.1 |
| Percent Black: | 4.5 |
| Percent Asian: | 4.5 |
| Percent Native American: | 1.1 |
| Percent Other Race: | 0.5 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 4.0 |
| Cpvi: | R+10[3] |
Arizona's 8th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of Arizona. It includes many of the suburbs north and west of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona. The district includes several high-income retirement communities, including Sun City West.
After redistricting for the 2012 general election, the new 8th district encompasses most of the Maricopa County portion of the old 2nd district, while most of the former 8th district became the 2nd congressional district.[4] It is the geographic and demographic successor of the old 2nd; while the 4th district contains most of the old 2nd's land, more than 92 percent of the old 2nd's constituents were drawn into the 8th.[5]
This seat was vacated by Representative Trent Franks on December 8, 2017. A special election was held on April 24, 2018, and won by Republican Debbie Lesko.
Arizona picked up an eighth congressional district after the 2000 census. It originally encompassed the extreme southeastern part of the state. It included all of Cochise County and parts of Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz counties. For all intents and purposes, it was the successor to what had been the 5th district from 1983 to 2003.
Longtime Republican incumbent Jim Kolbe retired in 2007, and was succeeded by Democrat Gabby Giffords, who was shot and severely wounded at a public event on January 8, 2011. Giffords resigned her seat on January 25, 2012. In a special election held on June 12, 2012, Democrat Ron Barber was elected as the new congressman.[6]
For the 2012 election, Barber was redistricted to the 2nd district, which includes the bulk of the old 8th district. The 8th was redrawn to include nearly all of the Maricopa County portion of the old 2nd district–as mentioned above, more than 92 percent of the old 2nd's population. The district had previously been the 3rd district from 1963 to 2003. That district's congressman, Republican Trent Franks, won the election for the new 8th.
After the 2022 redistricting, the 8th was one of only two districts, the other being the East Valley-based 5th, that retained essentially its same boundaries.
| Year | Office | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | President | Bush 53–46% | |
| 2008 | President | McCain 52–46% | |
| 2012 | President | Romney 62–37% | |
| 2016 | President | Trump 58–37% | |
| 2020 | President | Trump 57–41% |
Arizona began sending an eighth member to the House after the 2000 Census. Prior to this time, most of the 8th's current territory was in the .
| Member | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history | width=350 | District location[7] [8] [9] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created January 3, 2003 | ||||||||
| align=left | Jim Kolbe | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007 | Redistricted from the . Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Retired. | 2003–2013 Cochise; parts of Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz | ||
| align=left | Gabby Giffords | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 2007 – January 25, 2012 | Elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Resigned. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | January 25, 2012 – June 19, 2012 | ||||||
| align=left | Ron Barber | Democratic | nowrap | June 19, 2012 – January 3, 2013 | Elected to finish Giffords's term. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Trent Franks | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 2013 – December 8, 2017 | Redistricted from the . Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Resigned. | 2013–2023 Part of Maricopa | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | December 8, 2017 – May 7, 2018 | ||||||
Debbie Lesko | Republican | May 7, 2018 – present | Elected to finish Franks's term. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Retiring at end of term. | |||||
| 2023–present: Part of Maricopa | ||||||||
See main article: 2002 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona.
See main article: 2004 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona.
See main article: 2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona.
See main article: 2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona.
See main article: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona.
See main article: 2012 Arizona's 8th congressional district special election.
See main article: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona.
See main article: 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona.
See main article: 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona.
See main article: 2018 Arizona's 8th congressional district special election.
See main article: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona.
See main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona.
See main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona.