“I knew that if I worked hard and stayed clean, this Latino kid would succeed in America. I did,” Gallego told hundreds of supporters in Grant Park, the center of Latino politics in Phoenix. organization center.
On Monday, Gallego kicked off his campaign with a video posted on social media and embarked on a national media tour before returning to Arizona. In addition to Saturday’s rally in Phoenix, he has made similar appearances in Tucson and Casa Grande, and he plans Sunday’s reservations in Flagstaff, the Navajo Nation and the White Mountain Apache tribe. to stay.
Gallego is facing the toughest campaign of his political career. He hasn’t faced serious opposition since winning tough primaries in overwhelmingly Democratic congressional districts in 2014. He must now introduce himself to voters outside the Phoenix district.
He touted his military service and his meek biography, saying in many ways he was “a product of that American dream.” But he pointed to the death of Tyré Nichols at the hands of five Memphis police officers as proof that more needs to be done.
“The American Dream has to include people like Tyré Nichols,” Gallego said. “It has to include black people who live without fear and are able to. They deserve the American Dream too.”
Sinema was elected a Democrat in 2018 but left the party late last year, registering as an independent after years of estrangement from the party. She did not say whether she would run for re-election.
“The problem with Kyrsten is not that she left the Democratic Party,” Gallego said. “The problem is she left and abandoned Arizona.”
Sinema has not directly commented on Gallego’s entry into the race, but she took to Twitter last week to tout the bipartisan deal she helped negotiate and suggested the campaign could wait.
“Arizona just had a brutal election season — I think we can all take a break,” cinema writes. “As I have done with infrastructure, tribal water security, drought relief, LGBTQ+ rights, chips, and more, I will continue to deliver on my commitment to deliver real results for our state.”
