A long awaited challenger to U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has entered the ring.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego announced his candidacy for the Senate early Monday morning.
Sen. Sinema announced on Dec. 9 she was leaving the Democratic Party to register as an independent. She has fallen out of favor with many state and national Democrats, particularly more progressive Democrats, who feel she has stalled the agenda of President Joe Biden and Democrats in Washington.
In a video posted on Facebook and Twitter, Congressman Gallego mentions his youth as the son of a single mother, who grew up poor and later graduated from Harvard University before deploying to Iraq as a United States Marine Infantryman.
Gallego wrote "Growing up poor, the only thing I really had was the American dream.
It’s what kept me going: as a kid sleeping on a rollout mat on the floor, a college student scrubbing my classmates’ toilets, and as a Marine losing brothers in Iraq.
Today, too many Arizonans see their dream slipping away. They’re tired of broken promises and empty words. They want a better life for themselves and their families.
The rich and powerful don't need any more advocates in Washington. The people of Arizona do.
I’m running for the U.S. Senate to fight for you, with you. To win back the American dream, for all of us!"
Gallego visited San Luis, Ariz. on Oct. 21 last year where he toured the San Luis Port of Entry and a had lunch with city and county officials.
Although Gallego’s district covers the Phoenix area, he told KAWC then that he wants to highlight needs for southern Arizona and border communities like San Luis. Too often, he said, they get overlooked and underestimated.
Gallego has become known nationally for not holding back on what he really thinks, which he's shown in national interviews including on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher.
The Associated Press reports Sinema has not announced whether she will run for a second term.
Although no Republican has officially entered the race, possible candidates include former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, former U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb— all of whom have been endorsed for other campaigns by former President Donald Trump. Karrin Taylor Robson, who lost to Lake in last year's primary for governor, and former Gov. Doug Ducey are also potential challengers.
