Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is running for Senate, challenging independent incumbent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and has the potential to set up a tough three-way contest that will put the main Democratic leader on point.
Gallego, a Marine Corps veteran who saw combat in Iraq, has served in the House since 2015 and has been seen as the most likely Democratic challenger to Sinema for months, recently hiring a well-known Democratic consultant and pollster for a bid.
“If you’d rather meet the powerful than the powerless, you’re doing this job wrong,” Gallego said in a campaign launch video, shot live at the lobbyist-friendly Cinema. “I’m sorry the politicians let you down, but I’m going to change that.”
Sinema first won election to the Senate in 2018 as a Democrat, only switching to independent after Democrats unexpectedly did well in Arizona in the 2022 midterms. Gallego supported him in 2018, but like many Democrats in the country, became frustrated with him because he blocked key parts of President Joe Biden’s agenda.
Sinema, whose role as a swing vote meant he was key to brokering compromises on infrastructure and gun control during the last Congress, has yet to announce whether he will seek re-election. Limited early polls show him trailing Gallego and potential GOP candidates.
“I don’t think or talk about the election,” Sinema told local radio station KTAR last week. “I’m focused on work.”
In the launch video, Gallego highlights his life story – starting with his youth in Chicago, where he was raised by a single mother and helped raise his three younger siblings, and includes his time at Harvard and his post-Iraq war with post-traumatic stress. stress disorder.
“Most families feel that one or two salaries are not enough. This is not the way we should live in this country,” said Gallego in the launch video, which will also be released in Spanish. “Rich and powerful people don’t need other advocates. People who are still trying to decide between groceries and utilities need a fighter for them.
Gallego’s offer also creates a decision point for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DNY), political operatives and President Joe Biden, who may all have to decide if they support Sinema – whose vote remains important to confirm the candidate and the candidate for Biden. maintain leverage when negotiating with Republicans — or the Democratic nominee in Arizona.
Gallego is the front-runner for the nomination, especially after fellow Rep. Greg Stanton announced last week that he would not run. But it’s not guaranteed, with some national and local Democrats continuing to point to Tucson Mayor Regina Romero as a potential candidate.
Arizonans have hired New Deal strategies, they really masterminded the successful 2022 run of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.). Gallego is expected to forge a similar ideological path, combining a progressive background and populist economic messaging aimed at the working class while avoiding the most popular left-wing positions.
Republicans could also see contested primaries for Senate seats: 2022 gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake, 2022 Senate nominee Blake Masters and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb are all potential candidates from the Trumpist right wing of the party. Karrin Taylor Robson, who lost the GOP gubernatorial primary to Lake, is a potential candidate from the party’s establishment wing.