PHOENIX — In a historic election, Democrat Ruben Gallego has made waves by becoming Arizona’s first Latino U.S. senator, outpacing Republican Kari Lake and thwarting the GOP’s efforts to expand their Senate majority.
Gallego’s victory marks a significant shift in Arizona’s political landscape, which had been traditionally Republican until Donald Trump’s presidency in 2016. Since then, Arizona voters have consistently rejected candidates endorsed by Trump, although he managed to win the state against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris this year.
“Gracias, Arizona!” Gallego expressed on the social media platform X following his win.
With Gallego’s election, the Republican Party will now hold 53 out of 100 Senate seats.
A five-term member of the House of Representatives and an Iraq War veteran, Gallego has a compelling life story that he shared widely during his campaign. He will succeed Kyrsten Sinema, whose 2018 win as a Democrat set a precedent that the party has effectively followed since.
Sinema’s departure from the Democratic Party two years ago, after alienating its more progressive members, left her with a complicated path. Although she considered running for a second term as an independent, she ultimately decided against it when it became evident that victory was unlikely.
“Yes, he could!” chanted several supporters of Gallego in Spanish as he addressed them after the election was officially called.
“I will advocate for Arizona in Washington,” Gallego declared to the enthusiastic crowd, emphasizing his commitment to represent even those who did not vote for him.
In his speech, Gallego frequently acknowledged the influence of his single mother, attributing much of his success to her. He pledged to address what he termed the nation’s broken immigration system and to continue advocating for veterans and women’s reproductive rights.
The Associated Press reached out to Lake’s campaign for comments on Monday night but did not receive a response.
With Gallego’s victory confirmed, only one major race remained in Arizona, with the contest between Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani and Democrat Kirsten Engel for the 6th Congressional District still too close to call.
Gallego’s performance ahead of Harris suggests that many voters supported Trump at the top of the ticket while opting for the Democrat in the Senate race—an electoral pattern also seen in Sinema’s victory and in the races won by Democratic Senators Mark Kelly in 2020 and 2022. This trend of ticket-splitting proved pivotal in Senate races in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada, where Democrats triumphed even as Trump carried those states.
In contrast, Republicans successfully flipped Democratic-held Senate seats in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Montana. In these cases, Senators Sherrod Brown, Bob Casey, and Jon Tester also performed well but could not overcome the overall Republican shift in their states.
Although Gallego initially led comfortably on election night, his margin diminished as more votes were tabulated. Arizona is known for its lengthy ballot counting process, largely due to mail-in voting, which requires additional time for verification and processing, particularly for those who dropped off ballots on Election Day.
Born to immigrant parents from Mexico and Colombia, Gallego grew up in Chicago and later attended Harvard University. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and served in Iraq in 2005, experiencing significant hardship, including losing his best friend in combat.
Throughout the campaign, Gallego maintained a considerable fundraising lead. He consistently criticized Lake’s support for a historical state law that heavily restricts abortion access. In response, Lake attempted to position herself more centrally on the issue, which alienated some of her right-wing supporters by opposing a federal abortion ban.
Gallego branded Lake as deceptive and power-hungry while downplaying his progressive voting record in Congress. Instead, he focused on his personal narrative and military background to cultivate an image of a pragmatic moderate.
Lake, a former television news anchor, gained prominence within the populist right following her 2022 gubernatorial campaign in Arizona.
Despite her loss in that race, she has never acknowledged it and referred to herself as the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book. She continued her legal challenges to overturn the election results even while campaigning for the Senate.
Her unwavering dedication to the unfounded claim that multiple elections were fraudulent resonated with Trump, who even considered her for his vice presidential pick. However, this stance complicated her relationship with moderate Republicans, whom she had already alienated by criticizing the late Sen. John McCain and former Governor Doug Ducey during her 2022 campaign.
While she attempted to moderate her message, she struggled to maintain consistency on contentious topics such as election integrity and abortion.
In her campaign, Lake concentrated on border security, a key issue for Republicans in a border state facing unprecedented crossings during President Biden’s administration. She proposed strict measures against illegal immigration and labeled Gallego as a proponent of “open borders.” Additionally, she scrutinized his personal life, including his divorce from Kate Gallego shortly before the birth of their child. His ex-wife, currently the mayor of Phoenix, publicly endorsed him and actively campaigned alongside him.
