In an interview on The Hill TV's "What America's Thinking" last week, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D) addressed whether his Arizona Senate bid risks splitting the vote and hurting the left's chances if Democrat-turned-Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema seeks reelection.
Asked whether a state with a history of electing centrist senators like Sinema and former Sen. John McCain (R) would elect a progressive, Gallego said, "I think these D.C. labels don't matter to voters in Arizona. They really just care about someone who understands them."
Gallego said Sinema is more likely to pull votes from a Republican candidate than split the vote on the left.
Contrasts: Gallego's campaign website says Sinema "blocked legislation to raise the minimum wage, lower the cost of prescription drugs, expand voting rights and more."
Sinema voted against adding a provision raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour to a COVID-19 relief bill last year, saying the chamber should debate an increase separate from the bill.
Toward the end of 2021, Sinema was involved in scaling back the Medicare prescription drug price negotiation plan included in the Inflation Reduction Act. A release from Sinema's office last August said the plan will reduce costs and "protect innovation to ensure Arizonans and Americans continue to have access to life-saving medications, and new cures and therapeutics."
Sinema, along with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), also opposed eliminating the filibuster, a recent priority for other Senate Democrats, as it would have enabled the party to pass legislation with its slim majority.
Gallego supports getting rid of the filibuster. He is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has supported Medicare for All legislation.
Electoral backdrop: Arizona has become friendlier terrain for Democrats in recent years.
- Sinema was the first Democratic senator from Arizona in 24 years. She won the open 2018 contest by 2.4 percentage points.
- Mark Kelly (D) then won a special Senate election at the end of 2020 by a similar margin. He was reelected by around 5 points in 2022 (with a Libertarian candidate receiving 2.1 percent of the vote).
- 2020 was the first time the state voted Democratic in a presidential election since 1996.
- After November's election, Arizona now has its first Democratic governor in 14 years.
From the right: Gallego told "What America's Thinking" that, "in Arizona, … no matter how left or right or center you are as a Democrat, you're always going to be 'too liberal' when the Republicans attack you."
Kari Lake, a Republican who lost last year's gubernatorial race and is rumored to be considering a Senate run, on Sunday called Gallego "the AOC of Arizona," referring to progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
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