Former aides of John McCain throw support to Democratic Senate candidate Ruben Gallego
Two former state directors for the late former Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, are supporting Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego’s bid for U.S. Senate.
Gallego, D-Ariz., is trying to demonstrate cross-party support before the November election against his Donald Trump-endorsed GOP opponent Kari Lake.
Getting the most votes from registered independent voters in Arizona could be a deciding factor on Election Day, Nov. 5. Registered independents make up a third of Arizona's registered voters.
His backing from the former McCain aides and of 40 other officials who are Republicans and Independents this week shows an effort to appear as a more independent-minded Democrat, similar to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. Gallego is running for Sinema's seat.
“The stakes of this election are very clear,” Gallego said. “Do we want a Senator who will divide us, or someone who brings Arizona together from both sides of the aisle to get the job done, to move Arizona forward.”
McCain, who died in 2018, has been recognized for his bipartisanship during his years in Congress. Gallego has praised McCain in recent history, but Lake's campaign argues that he's "spent his entire political career viciously attacking John McCain."
Lake campaign adviser Caroline Wren posted Wednesday a December 2010 tweet from Gallego in which he criticizes McCain.
"It’s amazing to think how irrelevant McCain is. Only DC press is keeping the illusion going," Gallego wrote in 2010.
Lake has given her fair share of opinions on McCain, most notably at a rally during her 2022 gubernatorial run.
“We don’t have any McCain Republicans in here, do we?” Lake said at a rally. “Get the hell out!"
“It was the party of McCain. It was bad,” she said to boos from the crowd. “Arizona has delivered some losers, haven’t they?”
McCain's daughter Meghan McCain responded in February after Lake said on a radio interview that her comments at that rally were in jest. After a back-and-forth on social media, Meghan McCain said there would be "no peace" between them.
Lake's campaign said a "Democrats for Kari Lake and America First" event was planned for Thursday.
Former McCain aides: Republican Party is failing
The former McCain aides backing Gallego both said politicians like Lake are changing the party for the worse.
Paul Hickman, former state director for McCain, said the Republican Party is a shell of its former self.
"The far-right politicians that have hijacked the Republican Party do not have the temperament or the aptitude for public service,” Hickman said. “They're not concerned with governing or delivering for Arizona.”
Bettina Nava, a former state director for McCain, told the media on Wednesday that Gallego would find common ground between the parties in Senate if elected.
“He's always going to look out for the greater good of our state,” Nava said. “I know that he's dedicated his entire life to serving our country and as a Marine and as a statesman. For a Republican like myself, that really means something.”
Some Republican Arizona officials from local governments are also endorsing Gallego. Mesa Mayor John Giles is standing with both Harris and Gallego.
“I cannot in good conscience stand on the sidelines while extremists like Kari Lake, who have hijacked our party for the sake of personal gain, undermine the very fabric of what makes America exceptional,” he said in a written statement.
Adding to the list, Republican Julie Spilsbury, a Mesa City Council member, said Wednesday it wasn’t an easy decision to support Gallego because she doesn’t agree with all of his policies, but she wants a candidate who demonstrates integrity and compassion.
“The level of division and hateful rhetoric spouted by politicians who will do and say anything in order to give power is despicable to me,” she said. “Unfortunately, Ruben’s opponent in this race is someone driven by an extreme and divisive agenda. Kari Lake has shown time and again that she will do nothing to bring us together.”
John Webster, a small business owner in the East Valley and a veteran, said he’s a McCain Republican in support of Gallego because of his leadership and time serving in the Marine Corps.
“We need leaders who respect those who serve and do whatever they can to take care of them when they come home,” he said. “And I experienced this personally when I had an issue with the VA; I discussed it with Ruben.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ruben Gallego gets across-the-aisle support from 'McCain Republicans'
