In Arizona, Gallego Beats Lake in US Senate Showdown

(Left) Kari Lake speaks in Dallas on Aug. 5, 2022, and (right) Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) in the Capitol on July 14, 2022. AP Photo

A closely watched Senate race in a presidential battleground has been called for Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) against former newscaster Kari Lake.

As of 9:52 p.m, Gallego had 50 percent of the vote, while Lake had 47.8 percent—a gap of 72,626 votes—according to The Associated Press.

That was with 95 percent of the vote counted.

“Gracias, Arizona!” Gallego posted to X shortly after the result of the race was called at 9:50 p.m. on Nov. 11.

Lake hasn’t publicly commented on the result as of publication time.

The result comes two years after Lake was defeated by Katie Hobbs in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial race, a contest marked by allegations of fraud from the Republican.

A staunch Trump ally, Lake lost multiple court battles over the outcome of that election, including as recently as June.

Gallego is a Harvard University graduate who served with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq. He was elected to Congress in 2014 after serving in the Arizona House.

The two won primaries in the summer, putting them in contention for the seat being vacated by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), who left the Democratic Party during her term. Sinema decided not to seek reelection.

Arizonans had a chance to compare Lake with Gallego during an Oct. 9 debate. Major themes included abortion and immigration, a central topic for Americans everywhere but especially resonant along the nation’s southern border.

Lake condemned the Senate bipartisan bill that was floated earlier this year, saying it would enable too many illegal crossings.

Illegal immigrants, she said, were “taking jobs and housing,” later describing herself as “100 percent for legal immigration.”

Gallego defended the legislation, saying it would have provided much-needed technology to border agents.

A few weeks ahead of Election Day, the Cook Political Report rated the Arizona race as one that leaned toward the Democrat. That’s in line with the rating from Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

Polling ahead of the contest consistently showed Gallego leading Lake.

RealClearPolling’s average showed a 4-point gap favoring the lawmaker as of Oct. 31. While a late October poll from Data Orbital showed Lake ahead of Gallego by one point, other surveys from late in the campaign season generally showed him with a lead.

A Marist College poll that showed former President Donald Trump one point ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris also showed Lake trailing Gallego by eight points.

Both Gallego and Lake spoke at their respective parties’ conventions this summer.

In the run-up to Election Day, the Democrat sought to distance himself from President Joe Biden’s comment apparently likening Trump supporters to garbage.

Gallego said that no politician should be talking about anybody that way and it didn’t matter who they were.