PHOENIX – Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego will become Arizona’s first Latino senator next year, NBC News Projects, after defeating Republican Kari Lake amid a prolonged vote-lose in one of the key swing states.
Gallego will replace independent Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who retired after one term. It is the fourth consecutive Senate election that Democrats have won in Arizona, which has shifted sharply toward the middle in the Donald Trump era after years of reliable Republican control. Trump won the state in 2016 and won it again eis year by what appears to be his largest margin in one of the key swing states.
But Joe Biden narrowly carried Arizona in 2020, part of a recent Democratic renaissance in the state.
A key part of Gallego’s victory was his reinvention as a softer battleground moderate instead of the fiery progressive of his earlier days in politics. Gallego rose through the ranks in Arizona on the fringes of his party, stomping next to progressive Senator Bernie SandersI-Vt., and joining the House Congressional Progressive Caucus.
However, he has largely set aside the progressive label in his Senate bid, including receiving support this year from one of Arizona’s largest police unions, targeting a state that has more registered Republicans than Democrats.
Lake, meanwhile, was unable to sufficiently smooth over the sharp edges of her political personality afterward she lost a MAGA-focused run for governor in 2022 and refused to acknowledge defeat. Some Republicans and independents could not accept her candidacy, and she was far behind Trump, despite her efforts to tie herself to his top campaign.
Gallego enjoyed superior fundraising and more outside support from his party, consistently outpacing Lake throughout the campaign before leaving her well behind in the cash race of recent months.
Gallego, a Marine veteran and son of Colombian and Mexican immigrants, merged his identity into his campaign, launching the “Veterans for Gallego” and Juntos Con Gallego coalitions throughout the summer. But he kept his message on the issues behind those identities. , linking them to border security, comprehensive immigration reform, and comprehensive mental health care for veterans.
Gallego focused on his party’s strengths, such as reproductive rights, but he also tried to tackle his party’s weaknesses head-on, promoting issues such as border security. Lake sought to tie Gallego to Biden and his administration on a host of issues, but especially border security, a major focus of hers during their only debate in October.
Lake, who once called himself “Trump in heels,” labeled Gallego with a collection of unflattering nicknames, including “swamp rat.” She also went after him personally, bringing up details about his divorce from Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and trying to link him to his progressive past.
Leave a Reply