EXCLUSIVE — Senate candidate Kari Lake is attacking Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) on inflation and the economy in her latest digital ad, attempting to tie her Democratic opponent to President Joe Biden’s low polling numbers in Arizona.
In her latest digital ad released on Wednesday, Lake attacked Gallego as a “rubber stamp” for the president’s economic policies, criticizing the Democratic congressman for supporting Biden’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year that would raise taxes by nearly $5 trillion. The ad comes as the Senate race heats up between the two candidates in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive races of the 2024 cycle.
“Ruben Gallego doesn’t care that you and your family are struggling to make ends meet,” says the voice-over in the ad, which was first shared with the Washington Examiner. “Joe Biden destroyed our economy and Ruben Gallego is nothing more than a rubber stamp for his disastrous Bidenomics.”
The Senate race in Arizona could be one of Republicans’ best opportunities to seize control of the upper chamber next year. The race became more fierce after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) announced she would not run for reelection, solidifying the race as a head-to-head contest between Lake and Gallego.
Polling shows a tight contest between the two, but the most recent surveys indicate Gallego has an edge over Lake in the critical swing state. Gallego leads Lake by 8 percentage points, 36% to 28%, according to a recent poll by RABA Research. That poll was conducted during the last week of March.
More recent polls show the race at a dead heat between the two, with a survey from the Bullfinch Group showing both Gallego and Lake at 41%. Another 11% said they would choose "other," according to the poll.
The race has also become more competitive in recent days after Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted the race from being deemed a toss-up to leans Democratic, giving Gallego a slight edge over Lake. That shift comes after the Arizona Supreme Court upheld a near-total abortion ban in the state, prompting pushback from even some Republicans including Lake and former President Donald Trump.
The state is also set to have a provision on the ballot to block the state from banning abortion unless the pregnancy is deemed viable, which Democrats hope to use to motivate voter turnout in their favor.
However, Lake’s allies have pointed to Trump’s polling in Arizona against Biden as a good sign for her campaign. Lake has closely aligned herself with the former president, who leads Biden 39% to 36%, according to RABA Research.
“Ruben Gallego is a Far-Left Democrat who has supported all of Joe Biden’s disastrous policies that have led to higher prices, a poor economy, and higher taxes for Arizonans,” Lake’s campaign said in a statement. “He has voted 100 percent of the time with Joe Biden, and cannot hide from his record. Kari Lake will fight to lower costs, get our economy back on track, and cut taxes for Arizonans.”
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There are 34 Senate seats up for grabs in the 2024 election cycle. Of these, Democrats must defend 23, compared to just 11 for Republicans — and nearly all competitive seats are held by Democrats, putting them on the defensive as they try to maintain their slim majority.
Democrats hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate, with the advantage of having Vice President Kamala Harris as a tiebreaker vote if needed. As a result, Republicans only need to flip one Senate seat to win the majority should they win back the White House in 2024. If they don’t regain the Oval Office, they need to secure two extra Senate seats.
The Washington Examiner reached out for comment from Gallego.
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