In the wake of Senator Kyrsten Sinema's decision not to seek re-election, Senator Mark Kelly swiftly threw his support behind fellow Arizona Democrat, Rep. Ruben Gallego for the upcoming Senate scramble. "I'm looking forward to serving with him. He's going to win this election," Kelly stated in a joint interview with Gallego, as reported by 12 News. Both politicians hail from military backgrounds, with Gallego being an Iraq war Marine veteran and Kelly having served as a Navy combat pilot and NASA astronaut.
Kelly, known for winning two Senate races in the increasingly purple state of Arizona, also noted the stark contrast between Gallego and Republican frontrunner, Kari Lake, "Elections are obviously about choices. And I don't think the choice could be more stark than between Ruben and his opponent, Kari Lake," he said, according to the 12 News interview. The endorsement was quickly unveiled after Sinema's surprise departure announcement, with Gallego picking up momentum as a progressive candidate while Kelly strikes a more centrist chord.
Addressing his colleague's tenure, Kelly praised Sinema's commitment to bipartisan legislation and problem-solving in a statement, "Over our three years of serving together, I’ve had a front-row seat to Senator Sinema’s work in the Senate and witnessed her tenacity as she forged compromises on issues that felt unsolvable," Kelly reflected on the partnership which secured advances in infrastructure, marriage equality, and gun safety. The statement was provided by Kelly's Senate page.
Kelly has been forthright with his criticisms of Lake, a Republican who has not conceded her loss in Arizona's last gubernatorial race nor Trump's presidential defeat, "When you consider what she has done to democracy in the State of Arizona, we cannot allow her to have a platform to expand that nationally," Kelly told 12 News. In response to the Kelly endorsement, a spokesperson for Lake countered, "Ruben Gallego is a radical departure from the representation Arizonans usually have. He is a far-left Democrat who voted with Biden 100 percent of the time. He is for open borders, and higher taxes. Arizonans won't be fooled by his liberal record."
While Lake secures high-profile Republican support, including an endorsement from Sen. John Thune and meets with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in Washington, her GOP primary opposition, Sheriff Mark Lamb, is pushing for debate exposure. "My experience and ability to pick up support from conservative independents, and Democrats separate me from the Republican field," Lamb expressed in a news release, suggesting a series of debates with Lake to flesh out their positions for voters.
