Democrat Ruben Gallego launches run for Senate in Arizona as Sinema stays silent

Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego announced Monday he will run for the Arizona U.S. Senate seat currently held by centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in December to become an independent.

“As a Marine, I never back down from a fight and in the Senate, I’ll fight to make sure every Arizonan has the same chance that I had at the American Dream,” Gallego said in a statement.

Gallego launched his campaign with videos in English and Spanish, highlighting his humble beginnings as the son of an immigrant mom. If elected he would become the first Latino senator in what has become one of the most competitive states in the country.

A Sinema aide declined to comment on Gallego’s announcement.

Gallego is the first major candidate to jump into the race. His long-expected campaign comes as Sinema’s intentions remain a mystery; the first-term senator has not said whether she will run for re-election as an independent in 2024.

“A never-ending focus on campaign politics is why so many people hate politics,” Sinema told local radio station KTAR on Friday.