US Rep. Ruben Gallego rolls out endorsements by 40 Republicans, independents
U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego announced endorsements from 40 Republicans and independents on Sunday in a bid to show he has cross-party appeal and isolate his Republican rival, Kari Lake.
The endorsements include officials and operatives who have gained prominence for their support of other Democrats in the era of former President Donald Trump, or at least a rejection of him.
At least 10 of Gallego’s new backers also have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
One of them is Paul Hickman, the former state director for the late U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who was a target of Lake’s derision. Lake tried to pass off her hostility to McCain as a joke earlier this year, sparking another round of anger from McCain’s daughter Meghan McCain.
Hickman, in a written statement, said he hopes Gallego will avoid divisive politics.
“It pains me to see Kari Lake use our state as a political pawn, to the detriment of our business community,” Hickman wrote. “Like my former boss, Ruben has spent decades serving his country and state. And in the Senate, I trust that Ruben will work with those of different backgrounds to make compromises, not spectacles, and continue to always put Arizona first.”
For Gallego, the endorsements are a way for him to try to follow in the footsteps of earlier Democratic wins for U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., who was a Democrat when she won in 2018, and U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who won in 2020 and 2022. Sinema and Kelly fashioned themselves to voters as independent-minded Democrats.
Ahead of the Republican primary that ended last week, Lake made her support from Trump and nearly two dozen sitting Republican senators a key part of her campaign message to GOP voters.
That built on Lake’s well-known political message of following the Trump agenda, from securing the southern border to taming inflation by restoring Trump to the White House.
Gallego had the luxury of facing no Democratic challenger in the race to succeed Sinema, who is retiring from the Senate after her term ends in January.
Gallego has generally remained a reliable vote for President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda, though he has noticeably sounded more critical of conditions along the border in the past year than he did in his nearly 10 years in Congress for a safely Democratic district in south Phoenix and part of the West Valley.
Mesa mayor backs Gallego in addition to Harris
Mesa Mayor John Giles is another official backing both Harris and Gallego. He called Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, “the greatest threat to American values and institutions that I have seen in my lifetime.”
He had a similarly bleak view of Lake.
“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.
Wes Gullett and Bettina Nava, two other former McCain aides, are backing Gallego and Harris.
Former Tempe mayor supports Gallego
While Gallego’s latest endorsements include several Harris backers, too, there are some who are publicly supporting Gallego only, at least for now.
Neil Giuliano, the former mayor of Tempe, explained his support for Gallego this way:
“Ruben Gallego has dedicated his life to service, both as a Marine and a Congressman, and although we won’t agree on every issue, I know he will always put the best interests of Arizona first and, importantly, he will always tell the truth. He listens to local leaders and their guidance to best solve the problems impacting communities.”
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ruben Gallego touts his GOP backers in Senate race against Kari Lake
