Multiple media outlets reported late Monday that Ruben Gallego, the Democratic Phoenix-area Rep., has been projected as the winner in the Arizona Senate contest against Kari Lake, the former news anchor who was backed by Trump.
Arizona emerged as a battleground state during the recent election cycle, with Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump locked in a neck-and-neck competition according to presidential polls. However, the Senate race in Arizona has been marked by even greater turmoil.
The race initially appeared to be a three-way competition, involving incumbent Senator Kyrsten Sinema. Sinema had faced significant backlash from her constituents after leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent. However, she struggled to garner enough polling and financial support to pursue re-election as an independent and ultimately decided against running, resulting in an open seat.
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Gallego, a Marine veteran and a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has conducted a campaign to embody the values of a more aligned Democrat. However, he has adopted a more centrist approach when it comes to addressing locally significant matters such as border security.
Lake gained notoriety when she refused to accept her defeat in the 2022 gubernatorial election against Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs. She went on to file a series of unsuccessful lawsuits, attempting to invalidate the election results by making unsupported or exaggerated claims about issues in the electoral process.
During her Senate campaign, there have been instances where she attempted to soften her image, specifically by attempting to retract her previous statements from 2022 regarding the late Sen. John McCain being a “loser” and suggesting that Republicans who support him should “get the hell out” of the party.
She struggled in the debate against Gallego, which led to a weak performance. Surprisingly, even traditionally Republican interest groups, including Arizona’s largest police union, decided to endorse Gallego instead. To make matters worse, Trump himself distanced himself from her, fearing that her actions could negatively impact his chances of winning the state.