Headline Roundup • January 23rd, 2023
Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego Announces Candidacy for US Senate
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Democratic Rep. Reuben Gallego of Arizona announced that he will challenge against Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) in the 2024 Arizona Senate race.
Key Quotes: “The problem isn’t that Sen. Sinema abandoned the Democratic Party — it’s that she’s abandoned Arizona,” Gallego said Monday. On Friday, Sinema told local radio station KTAR that “a never-ending focus on campaign politics is why so many people hate politics."
For Context: Gallego is the first major candidate to jump into the 2024 Senate race. Sinema has not yet said whether she will run for re-election. In December, Sinema changed her party affiliation from Democrat to Independent. 2022 election results seemed to show that Arizona voters are pretty evenly split among Republican, Independent, and Democratic voters who prefer more moderate candidates.
How the Media Covered it: Gallego's announcement was covered by sources across the political spectrum. Many sources on all sides noted that the Senate contest could become a three-way race among a Republican nominee, Gallego, and Sinema if she decides to run as an Independent.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Tom Williams/Pool photo via AP
Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona announced Monday he is running for the Senate seat held by Kyrsten Sinema, a centrist who switched her party affiliation from Democrat to independent after the midterm elections.
Mr. Gallego, a Democrat, launched his campaign with an ad in English and Spanish that highlights his humble beginnings and tours of service as a Marine in Iraq.
“You’re the first group of people that are hearing this besides my family. I will be challenging Kyrsten Sinema for the United States Senate, and I need all of your support,”...
The Hill
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) announced on Monday that he would be running for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-Ariz.) Senate seat, teeing up the possibility of an incumbent-on-incumbent general election challenge against the senator.
“Growing up poor, all I had was the American dream. It kept me going: as a kid sleeping on the floor, a student scrubbing toilets, a Marine losing brothers in Iraq,” Gallego said in a post on Twitter announcing his candidacy.
“Today, too many Arizonans see their dream slipping away,” Gallego added. “I’m running for the U.S. Senate to win it...
Francis Chung / POLITICO via AP file
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...
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