Podcast 81: Elijah Norton on Running for Congress and Dan McLaughlin on the Week’s Headlines

Episode Introduction

Elijah Norton, a Scottsdale insurance entrepreneur making his first run for public office, joined Breaking Battlegrounds hosts Chuck Warren and Sam Stone in spring 2022. He was challenging Republican Rep. David Schweikert for the GOP nomination in Arizona’s newly redrawn 1st Congressional District. Norton made the case for sending business owners, not career politicians, to Washington. His campaign put Schweikert’s ethics record at the center of the race.

In the second half of the show, National Review senior writer Dan McLaughlin returned to break down the week’s biggest political headlines.

Quick Answer

In Breaking Battlegrounds Podcast 81, recorded in spring 2022, Elijah Norton discussed his Republican primary challenge to Rep. David Schweikert in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. Norton lost that August 2022 primary. In July 2026, he won the Republican nomination for Arizona state treasurer. The episode also features National Review’s Dan McLaughlin on the week’s news.

Episode Overview

Arizona’s 2022 redistricting reshaped the Phoenix suburbs. Rep. David Schweikert, who had represented the 6th District, ran in the redrawn 1st District, and about 75 percent of the new district came from areas he already represented. Elijah Norton, a Missouri native who had built an insurance business in the Phoenix area, entered the Republican primary against him.

On Breaking Battlegrounds, Norton laid out the core of his pitch: people who have built something in the private sector should go to Washington to serve, not to build a political career. He also cited the example of his ancestor and namesake, a Civil War era congressman from Missouri.

Dan McLaughlin then joined Chuck and Sam for a review of the week’s headlines.

About Elijah Norton

Elijah Norton is the founder of Veritas Global Protection Services, a Phoenix-based vehicle protection and insurance company. His professional history lists him as president of Veritas Global Protection since 2019, CEO of CarGuard Administration from 2015 to 2019, and CEO of RED Auto Protection from 2011 to 2017. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

According to his 2022 campaign biography, Norton started his first business at age 21 with $1,000 in savings, and the company grew to more than 100 employees with operations in the United States, Canada, Chile and Europe. He was named after his great-great-great-grandfather, Elijah Hise Norton, who represented Missouri in Congress during the Civil War and opposed the state’s secession from the Union.

2022 congressional race: Norton lost the August 2, 2022 Republican primary. Schweikert won 43.6 percent to Norton’s 33.0 percent, with Josh Barnett also on the ballot. Former President Trump had endorsed Schweikert.

Current role (verified October 2026): Norton later served as treasurer of the Arizona Republican Party. During his 2026 campaign, he cited the party’s return to financial stability under his tenure, which was helped by his own donations to cover past losses. He won the July 21, 2026 Republican primary for state treasurer over State Board of Education member Katherine Haley and faces Democrat Nick Mansour on November 3.

About Dan McLaughlin

Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at the National Review Institute. He previously practiced securities and commercial litigation in New York City. He has also written for RedState as a contributing editor, for The Federalist and The New Ledger as a columnist, and for several baseball sites, including BaseballCrank.com. He is a recurring Breaking Battlegrounds guest; this episode was a return appearance.

Key Topics Discussed

Arizona’s redrawn 1st Congressional District and the 2022 Republican primary
Elijah Norton’s case for electing business leaders over career politicians
Rep. David Schweikert’s ethics record as a campaign issue
Fiscal policy: lower taxes, a balanced budget and limited government
Dan McLaughlin’s analysis of the week’s headlines

A Redrawn District and a Primary Challenge

The 2022 Arizona map moved Schweikert into the new 1st District, which covered parts of Phoenix and Scottsdale. Tom O’Halleran, the Democrat who had represented the old 1st District, ran in the new 2nd District instead. That left Norton challenging a sitting congressman on territory most of whose voters already knew Schweikert.

The Ethics Argument

Norton built much of his campaign around Schweikert’s ethics record. He pointed out that the House unanimously reprimanded Schweikert in 2020, after the House Ethics Committee found 11 violations, and that Schweikert paid a $50,000 fine. When the FEC fined Schweikert’s campaign committee $125,000 in January 2022, Norton said the fine showed Schweikert had failed to represent his district.

Schweikert won the primary anyway and was re-elected that November with 50.4 percent of the vote.

Business Experience Over Political Careers

Norton’s central message was that Washington needs more people who succeed outside politics first and then serve. He used his ancestor’s example: a Missouri congressman who set aside his livelihood to fight secession during the Civil War. On policy, his campaign platform emphasized lower taxes, a balanced budget and limited government.

Dan McLaughlin on the Week’s Headlines

Since the episode aired in spring 2022, likely topics include the 2022 midterm primaries, inflation and the Supreme Court. Write only what McLaughlin actually discussed.

Key Takeaways From the Conversation

Arizona’s 2022 redistricting set up a primary in which a newcomer challenged a sitting congressman on mostly familiar ground for the incumbent.
Norton ran as a businessman outsider and made the incumbent’s 2020 House reprimand a central issue.
His 2022 loss was not the end of his political career. He became Arizona GOP treasurer and won the party’s 2026 nomination for state treasurer.

Related Breaking Battlegrounds Episodes

Breaking Battlegrounds covered Arizona’s 2022 primaries closely. Pollsters George Khalaf and Mike Noble gave their final predictions before the Arizona primary in Podcast 90. Andy Gould and Stephen Richer discussed Arizona’s primary election. Abe Hamadeh discussed securing Arizona’s border during his attorney general campaign. The full set of candidate conversations is collected in the Arizona primary interview series. For the national outcome that fall, see Erick Erickson on the 2022 midterms.

Missing Dan McLaughlin links: He appeared on later episodes, including Podcasts 215 and 223 in 2024. I couldn’t verify those URLs on the .vote site. Add them once confirmed, and consider a McLaughlin guest hub page, since he’s one of the show’s most frequent guests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Elijah Norton?

Elijah Norton is an Arizona businessman and the founder of Veritas Global Protection Services, a Phoenix-based vehicle protection and insurance company. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2022, later served as treasurer of the Arizona Republican Party, and is the 2026 Republican nominee for Arizona state treasurer.

Did Elijah Norton win his 2022 race for Congress?

No. Norton lost the August 2, 2022 Republican primary in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District to incumbent Rep. David Schweikert, who received 43.6 percent of the vote to Norton’s 33.0 percent. Schweikert went on to win the general election that November.

What is Elijah Norton running for in 2026?

Norton is the Republican nominee for Arizona state treasurer. He won the July 21, 2026 primary over Katherine Haley and faces Democrat Nick Mansour in the November 3, 2026 general election. The treasurer’s office manages state funds and investments.

What did Elijah Norton discuss on Breaking Battlegrounds?

In Podcast 81, recorded in spring 2022, Norton discussed his Republican primary challenge to Rep. David Schweikert, his argument for electing business leaders instead of career politicians, and his fiscal priorities. The episode also features National Review’s Dan McLaughlin on the week’s news.

Who is Elijah Hise Norton?

Elijah Hise Norton was Elijah Norton’s great-great-great-grandfather and namesake. He represented Missouri in the U.S. House during the Civil War and, according to the family’s account, was a leading voice against Missouri’s secession from the Union.

Conclusion

Podcast 81 captured Elijah Norton at the start of his political career: a first-time candidate taking on an incumbent congressman, arguing that business experience and a clean ethics record should matter more than seniority. He lost that race but stayed in Arizona Republican politics, and four years later he is on the statewide ballot. The episode is useful background for anyone looking at how his candidacy developed, recorded while it was happening.

Sources

Ballotpedia News, “Schweikert defeats Barnett and Norton in the Republican primary for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District” (August 3, 2022)
Ballotpedia News, preview of the AZ-1 Republican primary (July 13, 2022)
Wikipedia, “2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona” (official results via Arizona Secretary of State)
KJZZ, coverage of the 2026 Arizona treasurer primary and candidates (July and October 2026)
BallotReady, Elijah Norton candidate profile
Arizona Secretary of State, official election results: https://azsos.gov (recommended primary source)
U.S. Congress Biographical Directory, entry for Elijah Hise Norton: https://bioguide.congress.gov (recommended for the ancestor reference)

Editorial Note: This article is intended for informational and analytical purposes. Political developments, policies, polling, and public statements can change over time. Readers should consult primary sources and official government information for the latest details.