The stage is set for a hotly contested Arizona Senate race as Republicans seek to flip a Senate seat in the once-red state that has become a key battleground. Republican nominee Kari Lake will face off against Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., in an election that could change the dynamic of the Senate, where Democrats currently hold a two-seat majority.
Incumbent Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party and became an independent, announced earlier this year she would not seek reelection, offering the GOP a chance for a major pick-up.
Lake is a former Phoenix TV news anchor who came to prominence while running for Arizona governor in 2022 and promoting former President Donald Trump’s 2020 election denials. Lake herself refused to concede after losing the governor’s race by less than one point.
The Republican field had been crowded, but Lake’s entry into the race, coupled with a ringing endorsement from Trump, made the primary essentially a forgone conclusion. Now, she turns to campaigning state-wide on her MAGA message.
“I think we all share one common hero, and I think I’m safe to say that we think of our favorite President Donald J. Trump as a hero, right?” Lake asked her crowd of supporters during her victory speech Tuesday, July 30.
Ruben Gallego is currently serving in Congress as a representative for Arizona’s 3rd District. The congressman, the son of immigrants and a former Marine who served in Iraq in 2005, ran uncontested.
“I am the proud son of immigrants, and I am running to be the first Latino senator for all of Arizonans,” he said the day of the primary race. “It’s easy to say that Latinos do not get the representation in Washington, D.C.”
Gallego has already dropped about $15 million on ads, showcasing growing up poor and becoming the American dream. According to AdImpact, he’s got $18 million more in ads booked through November. Gallego has called Lake divisive and accused her of wanting to take away women’s rights.
Lake has spent only $2 million, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee is planning another $6 million leading up to the general election. She’s attempting to paint Gallego as a liberal progressive from Chicago and has gone after him on immigration — a top issue for Arizona voters.
There are fewer than 100 days until the general election. Lake will have to bring in more moderates and independent voters to pull off the win. Gallego will have to keep working to get his name out to voters across the state.
