Leading Senate Democrats shrugged off questions about Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego’s decision to challenge independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona, reflecting the party’s wait-and-see attitude toward a key contest as it hopes to hold onto the Senate in 2024.
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said it was “way too soon” to say whether Gallego or the eventual Democratic candidate would return to the race.
“We don’t even know who will be running for office in any state,” he said Monday.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who worked closely with Sinema on legislation protecting same-sex marriages late last year, also said it was too early to comment.
“We don’t know who ran. It’s premature,” Baldwin said. He repeated the words “premature” four times as reporters peppered him with questions as he entered the Senate elevator.
Sinema’s decision to leave the Democratic Party has made key Democratic officials, from President Joe Biden to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and fellow Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), on a tight spot: Does he support Sinema, who might vote? need to confirm the important Biden nomination? Or the return of Gallego or another late Democratic candidate, who will almost certainly have the backing of the state party and most of Arizona’s rank-and-file Democrats.
So far, the answer has been the same: Ask me later. In a statement, for example, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee declined to address Sinema or Gallego.
“Republicans have suffered a resounding Senate defeat in Arizona for the last three election cycles in a row, and we are confident that we will stop the Republicans in their efforts to take this Senate seat,” spokeswoman Nora Keefe.
Schumer also declined to comment when asked about the matter on Monday.
Sinema has so far declined to say whether he plans to run for a second term after winning the Democratic nomination in 2018, becoming an independent and leaving the Democratic caucus only after an unexpected performance for Democrats in the state. mid-semester 2022.
That has led some Democrats to quietly hope he decides to retire instead of running. Recent early polls of the race have shown him in third place behind Gallego and the Republican candidate.
“Someone in the administration should be looking for wine-producing countries that need ambassadors,” said one Democratic operative, requesting anonymity so as not to embarrass Sinema, a known oenophile.
However, Gallego was able to quickly assemble a top-level Democratic consulting team: The New Deal Strategy, which offers a successful 2022 Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), is the general consultant. GBAO’s strategy, a top Democratic firm, is polling. And Aisle 518, another well-respected company, handles digital fundraising.
If Democratic leaders want to block Gallego’s bid, they could send a signal to top party consultants not to work for him. They pointedly do not. However, there are two leading Democratic consulting firms stop working for Sinema last year, and he will lose access to NGP VAN, the party’s voter database, at the end of the month.
“The second he left the Democratic Party, it opened up the entire field of Democratic operations to Gallego,” said a source familiar with Gallego’s campaign who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the campaign’s internal operations.
The hands-off approach also reflects Senate Democrats’ revised strategy to stay out of primaries and internal party fights. For years, Schumer has been known for offering early endorsements of key candidates and working to clear the field for his picks.
But after a a bit disappointing The 2020 Senate cycle, the DSCC and the broader party apparatus generally backed away from the initial endorsement in 2022. With Sen. choose a side in 2024.
Although the DC establishment of the party continues to stand still, the base of the party has made its desire to get out of Sinema clear: On Monday, the day Gallego announced his offer, online donations to the Change For Arizona 2024 PAC – a progressive group dedicated to the elimination of Sinema. – up 300%.
Sinema declined to comment when asked about Gallego’s entry into the race and whether he plans to run for re-election.
“I wish I had brought a coat because it’s very cold tonight,” the senator said as he left the Capitol late in the evening in Washington.