The influential National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) released a new advertisement targeting Arizona voters on Monday that labels Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) a “deadbeat dad” and Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) a “liberal Democrat.” The ad is the latest indication the political action committee will support Lake, should she secure the Republican nomination.
In a 30-second ad, the narrator bemoaned “Rotten Ruben Gallego” for being “a spokesman for a crooked bank that targeting immigrants,” referencing a March report exposing a bank he founded that was meant to cater to illegal immigrants. Federal regulators eventually determined the bank’s founder illegally sold shares.
The ad also explains Gallego “abandoned his wife when she was nearly 9 months pregnant, then married a D.C. lobbyist.” His former wife is Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and they announced their divorce with a social media post on December 21, 2016, when she was pregnant with their son.
“Or there’s Senator Kyrsten Sinema. Sinema voted for President Biden’s agenda 100 percent of the time, backed Biden’s green energy bill, even helped pass Biden’s American Rescue Plan,” the narrator explained, likely reminding voters that Sinema changed her party affiliation from Democratic to independent last year, but continues to caucus with Democrats and serve on Democratic committees.
“Deadbeat dad, or liberal Democrat?” The ad’s narrator lamented, “Arizonans deserve a better choice.” The Hill reported the ad is part of a five-figure ad campaign, and is geo-targeted to Arizona.
NRSC spokesman Tate Mitchell said in a statement that Democrats “are fighting a lose-lose civil war over who they’ll make their standard bearer: Rotten Ruben Gallego or liberal rubber stamp Kyrsten Sinema,” and repeated the ad’s claim that “Arizonans deserve better.”
Gallego’s campaign called the ad “a baseless, deeply personal attack” in a fundraising email obtained by local media. A comment request from The Arizona Sun Times to Sinema’s office was not returned by press time.
Though the advertisement was not in favor of a candidate, the NRSC launched it after reports surfaced indicating the group was considering supporting Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake in the general election, and considered her unbeatable in the primary election.
Since that report, Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), the Senate Republican Conference chair, formally endorsed Lake. More recently, an NRSC poll showing Lake statistically tied with Gallego reportedly prompted Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to stand during a meeting of Senate Republicans and vocally defend Lake, declaring that she will be the nominee and the party must support her.
Polling generally shows a competitive race between Lake and Gallego, with Sinema in a distant, third place. A Sinema campaign strategy memo obtained by the media claimed she would secure reelection by forging a coalition of disaffected Republican and independent voters, while surrendering the majority of votes to Gallego, to create a winning coalition. However, every poll has shown Sinema losing the race in a distant, third place.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “Senator Kyrsten Sinema” by NRSC.
