Gallego locks down key endorsement in Arizona Senate race
Rachel Schilke
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Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) received an endorsement from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’s campaign arm on Tuesday, giving the Arizona representative a key boost in his race against Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ).
Bold PAC, the caucus’s campaign arm, deemed Gallego’s race a top priority. If he wins, he’ll be the PAC’s fifth senator. Gallego used to serve as Bold PAC’s chairman, but he stepped down in March to pursue the Senate race.
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“As the son of immigrants from Colombia and Mexico raised by a single mother, Ruben Gallego knows the challenges that every day families face,” Bold PAC Chairwoman Linda Sanchez said in a statement. “That’s why he’s dedicated his career to serving this country and fighting for working families and Latinos nationwide.”
Sanchez touted Gallego’s status as a veteran and his work to increase “representation of Latinos in Congress and combating disinformation targeting our community” as reasons for the endorsement.
“His years of service to the country show that he will be a leader who won’t be afraid to stand up to injustice and extremism, and who will fight for working families everywhere,” Sanchez said. “We’re proud to stand with Ruben in his campaign to represent the people of Arizona in the Senate and to continue fighting alongside him for Latinos across the country.”
Gallego, who announced in late January that he was running for Sinema’s seat in 2024, said the endorsement is “special to me.”
“Bold PAC does excellent work electing Latinos, who are still underrepresented in elected office, to Congress,” Gallego said. “30% of Arizona’s population is Latino, and yet, we have never had a Latino senator. I am running to change that and deliver results for all Arizonans.”
Gallego has also picked up endorsements from Reps. Daniel Goldman (D-NY), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), and Seth Moulton (D-MA).
The Arizona representative has been critical of Sinema since before she switched from the Democratic Party to become an independent following the 2022 midterm elections.
Gallego has ramped up his attacks on Sinema in recent weeks, saying she would come in last during a three-way race. Arizona’s Senate race is likely to be eventful because Arizona has emerged as a crucial battleground state in recent years. Gallego is the front-runner in the race.
The Senate seat in Arizona has been rated a “toss-up” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, making it one of the most competitive races so far. Sinema has not announced whether she intends to run for reelection, but if she does, she’s set to face opponents from both sides of the political spectrum.
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The independent senator has a sizable cash-on-hand advantage over Gallego, touting almost $10 million in cash on hand compared to Gallego’s $2.7 million as of April 15. So far, however, Gallego has outraised Sinema in the first quarter of the 2024 cycle, reporting a haul of $3.7 million compared to Sinema’s $2.1 million.
High-profile GOP primary candidates have yet to start lining up in the Arizona Senate race, but speculation is surrounding former Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.