Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego defeated Republican Kari Lake in Arizona’s Senate race on Monday and will make history as the state's first Latino U.S. Senator.
The Associated Press called Gallego’s win on Monday night, marking the fourth consecutive Senate election win for Democrats in Arizona. He will replace outgoing Sen. Krysten Sinema, who was elected as a Democrat but declared herself an independent in 2022 and chose not to run for re-election.
Gallego led Lake in most polls throughout the year. “Gracias, Arizona!” he wrote on X after the race was called.
The congressman's election is a boost for Democrats, who lost control of the Senate last week. The GOP will now hold 53 of the 100 Senate seats.
Most of Arizona’s registered voters are Republican, which influenced Gallego’s campaign strategy.
“What I have found since ever running for office is the best thing you can do is just talk to somebody and treat them like an American, that they deserve the time to talk to you,” he told NBC News on Monday.
An Iraq war veteran and the son of immigrants, Gallego rose to prominence in the Democratic Party as a steadfast progressive. But in his run for Senate, Gallego cast himself as a moderate and used his identity to shape his message around border security, immigration reform and veteran services.
Lake, meanwhile, followed the approach of President-elect Donald Trump in her Senate run, often referring to Gallego as a “swamp-rat” and attacking personal details of his romantic life. A devoted MAGA loyalist, Lake has previously called herself “Trump in heels” and has yet to concede her previous, 2022 gubernatorial loss.
Speaking to supporters after the race was called, Gallego said his win was a dream come true that he once thought impossible. He hopes his role as senator will be the representation for young Latinos that he never had growing up.
"And I feel like at least now there is going to be an opportunity that some young kids are going to be able to say, like, I can do that. Not necessarily run for Senate, but I can just go to college. I can go get a career. I can leave poverty," Gallego said.
