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AtlanticJun 18
'America First' Candidate Wins GOP House Primary for Arizona's 3rd District
Above: Jeff Zink (C), then candidate for U.S. Congress from Arizona's 7th District, attends the 'Justice for J6' rally with supporters of those charged in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol on September 18, 2021 in Washington, DC. Image copyright: Tasos Katopodis/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Jeff Zink, a self-styled America First conservative, won the Republican nomination for the US House in Arizona's 3rd Congressional District in a two-way race on Tuesday.
With 86% of the ballots counted, he secured 65.6% of the vote to defeat more moderate candidate Jesús David Mendoza, a 29-year-old political newcomer.
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
That Zink has been chosen again to run for Arizona's heavily Democratic 3rd Congressional District is more than just a bold move. It's a strong message that adds to the victory of Kari Lake and many other conservative Republicans, showing that the Arizona GOP has gone MAGA.
Anti-Trump narrative
Zink is a long shot to win Arizona's 3rd Congressional District, and his nomination shows the MAGA movement is inflexible and unable to learn from its mistakes. Their message doesn't resonate with unaffiliated voters in Arizona, allowing Democrats to win most statewide top offices despite a rise in GOP share of voter registration over the past years.