Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) claims to have raised $3.1 million from mostly small-dollar donors funding his campaign for U.S. Senate, where he hopes to overcome Republican opposition and ultimately unseat Senator Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-I).
Gallego’s campaign sent campaign finance data to 12 News on Thursday, revealing a $3.1 million fundraising haul in the second quarter of 2023. Though less than the $3.7 million Gallego raised in the first quarter, immediately after announcing his campaign, the latest reporting means his campaign has raised nearly $7 million this year.
Additionally, Gallego’s campaign claims the majority of its fundraising came from small-dollar donors who gave $100 or less to the campaign.
“Over 50,000 people have chipped in what they could to support Ruben’s campaign,” the Gallego campaign told the media, before insinuating that other candidates are motivated by “special interests or big corporations.”
Sinema, who formally left the Democratic Party in late 2022 but continues to caucus with Democrats and accept Democratic committee assignments, has not revealed whether she intends to run for another term.
Though Sinema raised $2.1 million in the first quarter of 2023, 12 News reports that more than half of that money “came from donors who gave at least the maximum individual donation of $3,300” and “Investment firms accounted for 30 percent of her war chest.” After leaving the Democratic Party last December, Politico reported that Sinema only “raised a bit shy of $25,000” from Act Blue, the Democratic fundraising platform for small dollar donations, by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Sinema received a Federal Elections Commission (FEC) complaint in May from the liberal Change for Arizona 2024 PAC (CFAPAC) alleging she “illegally diverted funds that were donated to her for campaigning for federal office by making expenditures for her personal use and benefit,” using about $180,000 from the Sinema for Arizona Committee, the Sinema Leadership Fund, and her personal Getting Stuff Done PAC (GSDPAC) to live a luxurious lifestyle.
CFAPAC alleged that Sinema spent the money on hotel stays, 17 luxury resorts across France and the United Kingdom, and wineries in California and Oregon. It is also alleged Sinema dined at expensive restaurants and spent the money on travel.
Gallego formally announced his campaign in January of this year, citing Sinema’s refusal to support Senate Democrats’ effort to end the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster and party switch as key motivators.
On the Republican side, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb is the only candidate currently filed to run. Shortly after filing in April, Lamb told the press that Sinema should be doing more to combat human trafficking in the state.
“I’ve consistently called out this administration for the human trafficking that’s happening and the slavery that’s happening every day,” said Lamb. “Yet we haven’t had that same reaction from our senators in this state. They have not vocally and outwardly opposed this administration and their inability to secure this border and do their job,” he added, referring to Sinema.
Former gubernatorial candidate and Arizona news anchor Kari Lake is also widely expected to enter the Senate race later this year, and her team expressed confidence to The Arizona Sun Times after Lamb made his announcement.
A Lake spokesperson told The Sun Times, “The idea of Kari Lake in the US Senate is the worst nightmare of the crooked political machine — the same machine she has vowed to destroy. If the People of Arizona call on Kari to run for Senate, despite the wishes of the ruling class, she will. And if Kari runs, she will win.”
Campaign spokesmen for Lamb and Sinema did not respond to a press inquiry before press time.
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Tom Pappert is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Tom on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
