Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego announces Senate bid in challenge to Kyrsten Sinema - CNN

CNN  — 

Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona connected Monday announced his run for US Senate, mounting up a imaginable 2024 clash with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who precocious switched her enactment affiliation from Democrat to independent.

Gallego, a Phoenix-area congressman and retired Marine who served successful Iraq, released a video of him telling a radical of chap veterans astir his determination to run.

“You’re the archetypal radical of radical that are proceeding this too my family. I volition beryllium challenging Kyrsten Sinema for the United States Senate, and I request each of your support,” Gallego, 43, told the radical astatine a veterans enactment successful Guadalupe, Arizona.

Sinema has faced fierce disapproval from Democrats for opposing elements of President Joe Biden’s agenda. Early past year, portion the Arizona legislator was inactive a Democrat, Gallego said immoderate Democratic senators were urging him to tally for her seat. Sinema said successful December she was switching parties, though she continues to caucus with Senate Democrats and has not said publically whether she volition tally for reelection.

“Most families consciousness that they are 1 oregon 2 paychecks distant from going under. That is not the mode that we should beryllium surviving successful this country,” Gallego said successful his announcement video. “The affluent and the powerful, they don’t request much advocates. It’s the radical that are inactive trying to determine betwixt groceries and utilities that request a combatant for them.”

Gallego, who is of Colombian and Mexican descent, would beryllium Arizona’s archetypal Latino senator, if elected. He spoke successful some English and Spanish successful his announcement video and described the hardship and fiscal instability his household faced erstwhile helium was increasing up

Gallego said his mother, an immigrant, would “cry, like, each night, being stressed retired astir however she was gonna raise, like, 4 kids connected a secretary’s salary, you know, with an absent father.”

“Fue una experiencia muy dura,” Gallego added successful Spanish, which translates to: “It was a precise hard experience.”

Gallego was archetypal elected to the House successful 2014. He is simply a subordinate of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and besides chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ run arm, BOLD PAC, during the 2022 cycle.

The Arizona Democrat successful his announcement video described suffering from post-traumatic accent upset (PTSD) pursuing his deployment to Iraq successful 2005.

“Losing each my friends, consistently being changeable astatine and radical trying to stroke you up each the clip – you ne'er truly afloat travel backmost from war. You’re not the aforesaid person,” Gallego said. “Fighting done PTSD, determination were immoderate precise debased moments successful my life. But I inactive didn’t springiness up. I pushed forward. I recovered a caller mode to support serving.”

Philip Letsou, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, responded to Gallego’s announcement successful a statement: “The Democrat civilian warfare is connected successful Arizona. Chuck Schumer has a choice: basal with unfastened borders extremist Ruben Gallego oregon backmost his incumbent, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.”

Several Republicans are considering moving for Sinema’s seat. Defeated Arizona gubernatorial campaigner Kari Lake is considering a Senate bid, according to a root adjacent to Lake.

Lake lost the Arizona governor’s race successful November to Democrat Katie Hobbs by little than 1 constituent and has not conceded, falsely claiming arsenic precocious arsenic Sunday that she won the election. An Arizona justice successful December rejected Lake’s lawsuit attempting to overturn her defeat, concluding determination wasn’t wide oregon convincing grounds of misconduct. Lake, a serial promoter of predetermination lies who denies the result of the 2020 statesmanlike election, has appealed the court’s decision. The root told CNN that Lake volition not marque a last determination connected a Senate tally until aft her tribunal lawsuit is completed.

Republican Blake Masters, who mislaid a situation successful November to incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly by astir 5 points, is besides “strongly considering” moving for Senate successful 2024, according to a spokesperson. Masters has besides denied the result of the 2020 predetermination but, dissimilar Lake, conceded his contention to Kelly.

Karrin Taylor Robson, who lost to Lake successful past year’s Republican primary contempt being endorsed by the state’s GOP politician astatine the time, Doug Ducey, besides indicated she could beryllium unfastened to a Senate bid.

“Instead of providing a cheque connected the extremist Biden agenda, our Senators proceed to alteration his disastrous policies, which person been unspeakable for Arizona,” the erstwhile subordinate of the Arizona Board of Regents told CNN successful a statement. “While I’m inactive deciding however I tin champion service the authorities that I love, I hold with the galore Arizonans who person reached out, and who, similar me, are hopeful that our enactment volition nominate a strong, authentic blimpish who volition not snatch decision from the jaws of victory.”