Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego is projected to beat Republican rabble-rouser Kari Lake in the race to become Arizona’s next U.S. senator after Lake seemed to struggle to win over moderate and independent voters.
Gallego, a congressman since 2015, succeeds Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a former Democrat who became an independent and then opted not to run for reelection.
Lake’s loss marks the second time the former newscaster failed to clinch a statewide office in Arizona after she fell short in the 2022 governor’s race. She technically never conceded to Democrat Katie Hobbs two years ago and, following Trump’s playbook, tried unsuccessfully to challenge her loss in court.
“She will do anything and say anything to gain power, including lying,” Gallego said during their debate last month.
Both Gallego and Lake tried to modulate to the middle to win over Arizona’s sizable contingent of unaffiliated voters. Gallego, a military veteran who left the House Progressive Caucus as he ramped up his campaign, leaned into border security — a tough issue for Democrats. At their only scheduled debate, Lake blamed him for the dysfunction at the U.S.-Mexico border and accused him of conducting an “extreme makeover” of his progressive record.
Gallego also angered progressives when he wrote to the Department of Justice opposing the proposed federal takeover of the Phoenix Police Department following the Arizona Police Association’s endorsement of his campaign in August.
Lake kicked off her campaign with a MAGA overhaul, vowing to welcome voters of all stripes into her coalition and forgoing divisive talk. It was short-lived. Lake blasted the “fake news” at the Republican convention over the summer and falsely claimed that Gallego “voted to let millions of people who poured into our country illegally cast a ballot in this upcoming election.”
Polls of Arizona’s presidential and Senate races had shown Lake running behind Trump in the state — which also meant that Gallego was running ahead of Harris. It’s not immediately clear why so many voters decided to split tickets in this race, but the state and its politicians are known for their independent streak.
Democracy In The Balance
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The late Sen. John McCain (a Trump critic whom both Lake and Trump have derided) cast the tie-breaking vote in 2017 protecting the Affordable Care Act.
Arizona is the site of one of the nation’s most expensive U.S. Senate contests, with both candidates and their allies spending a combined $92 million.
See full results from the Arizona Senate election here.
