{"id":594411,"date":"2023-10-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-15T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/arizona-senate-race-creates-political-headache-for-democrats\/"},"modified":"2023-10-16T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-15T21:00:00","slug":"arizona-senate-race-creates-political-headache-for-democrats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/arizona-senate-race-creates-political-headache-for-democrats\/","title":{"rendered":"#Arizona Senate race creates political headache for Democrats"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/sinemakyrsten_gallegoruben_101323gn_split_senate-races.jpg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Senate Democratic leaders face a thorny path in Arizona\u2019s Senate race, where Democrat Ruben Gallego could potentially square off against not only a Republican, but also Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I), a former member Democrat.<\/p>\n<p>Some Arizona Democrats\u00a0expect\u00a0Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will support Gallego,\u00a0even if behind the scenes, noting the animosity many in the party feel toward Sinema, especially after she switched to an independent last year, and her electoral prospects.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>But other members of the party believe that calculus is not as simple and say Senate Democrats will need to proceed cautiously, given she still caucuses with the party in the upper chamber, where Democrats have a narrow majority.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI 100 percent think it\u2019s not clear because she\u2019s an incumbent,\u201d said one senior Democratic strategist. \u201cShe caucuses with the Democrats. She might not be a Democrat anymore, but she does caucus with us. I mean, so in that way, there\u2019s an incumbency there. And to the extent that she hasn\u2019t given any indication that she would stop caucusing with us, I think it puts us in a bind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The strategist noted the 2006 Connecticut Senate Democratic primary, when Sen. Joe Lieberman, then running as a Democrat, lost the primary to fellow Democrat Ned Lamont. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2006\/08\/09\/washington\/09cnd-campaign.html\">expressed their support for Lamont after his win<\/a>, while Lieberman instead decided to run as an independent. Liberman later won against Lamont in the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> election.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe came back as an independent still caucusing with the Democrats but in a completely different, and I would probably say, in a spiteful and somewhat vindictive way,\u201d the strategist said.<\/p>\n<p>Sinema has remained mum about whether she plans to run for reelection next year. NBC <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a>\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2024-election\/krysten-sinema-pitches-donors-arizona-senate-race-path-victory-rcna117002\">last month reported<\/a>\u00a0that her political team had been sharing a prospectus that outlined the shares of Republicans, Democrats and independents that could be formed to create a coalition.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The incumbent senator\u2019s campaign reported that she had raised around $826,000 in the third quarter, close to half of which included transfers, according to a filing from the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Sinema ended the quarter with about $10.8 million cash on hand, essentially the same amount of money she ended the second quarter of fundraising with.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Gallego\u2019s campaign said earlier this month that he had raised over $3 million in the third quarter and ended the quarter with over $5 million in the bank.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, polling has portended warning signs for Sinema.\u00a0A survey from the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling, commissioned by the Gallego campaign, showed Gallego placing first at 41 percent, Republican Kari Lake at 36 percent and Sinema at 15 percent.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile,\u00a0a survey from Republican firm National Research Inc.\u00a0showed Lake coming in first at 37 percent support, Gallego at 33 percent and Sinema at 19 percent.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Democrats point to the fact she\u2019ll also need to clear a signature threshold to qualify for the ballot.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBetween that and the fundraising situation that\u2019s out there, and a perceived lack of a ground <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> here, I think she\u2019s got some strong headwinds, and I think that Schumer and Democratic leadership are certainly taking all of that into consideration as they figure out their next steps,\u201d explained Matt Grodsky, former communications director for the Arizona Democratic Party and vice president at Matters of State Strategies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf she does get in, they\u2019re gonna have to make calculated decisions on how that\u2019s going to impact any legislation or deals they\u2019re gonna have to negotiate with,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I think by and large, even if it\u2019s not publicly, I would imagine that privately they\u2019ll be throwing their support where they can in Democrat Ruben Gallego\u2019s direction, because I just don\u2019t think that their constituencies are gonna be supportive of them doing anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Democratic consultant Dawn Penich-Thacker said Arizona Democrats expect Senate leadership to line up behind Gallego if Sinema announces.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a realistic understanding of, you know, well, we don\u2019t know if she\u2019s in the race, so it\u2019s fine. They need to focus and get work done,\u201d Penich-Thacker said. \u201cBut if that were to change, if she jumps in, then yes, that there would be an expectation that the Democratic Party from the lowest ranks to the top are in support of the Democrat in the race.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sinema\u2019s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>John LaBombard, a former aide to Sinema, said there could be pressure from some parts of the Democratic Party for national members and groups to back Gallego, but noted the DSCC is an incumbent-protective group.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe dynamics are such, frankly, that all [parties] may benefit on our side \u2014 our side just meaning not the Republicans \u2014 from everybody kind of keeping an arm\u2019s length from each other,\u201d LaBombard said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But until Sinema makes an announcement, Democrats are in a holding pattern.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe party is waiting on Sinema\u2019s decision whether she will run or not while working aggressively to hold Kari Lake accountable,\u201d a national Democratic aide working on Senate campaigns said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Lake is running against Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in the GOP primary, though she is considered the heavy favorite to win the nomination. It\u2019s not clear yet what kind of role the Senate GOP campaign arm will play with Lake, though a source familiar with the Republican groups\u2019 strategy confirmed to The Hill they hadn\u2019t ruled out backing the former GOP gubernatorial in the race, which <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2023\/10\/11\/kari-lake-arizona-senate-campaign-00120888\">Politico first reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Lake, in her campaign launch speech in Scottsdale, Ariz., sought to <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>eal to the swing voters she lost last cycle, arguing \u201chonest elections\u201d were not a partisan issue, while at the same time criticizing the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> and \u201cthe disaster of Election Day in Arizona.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), described Lake in a statement as a \u201ctalented campaigner with an impressive ability to fire up the grassroots\u201d and said they had \u201cproductive conversations with Kari Lake and her team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cArizona is, you know, if you look at it, I think it\u2019s a better pickup opportunity than Pennsylvania, for example. I think that this is one where Senate Republicans should want to invest resources,\u201d said a Republican strategist who requested anonymity to speak candidly.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The GOP strategist said that she held meetings with Senate Republican leadership and members of the conference, including Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). She\u2019s also met with the super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the Senate Leadership Fund, and top advisers to McConnell, the strategist noted \u2014 meetings first reported by Politico.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think Lake has shown \u2026 she\u2019s willing to work with Senate Republicans. She\u2019s willing to engage with leadership to have a strong relationship there,\u201d the person said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But Democrats are skeptical so far that voters will buy a Lake rebrand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think barring some crazy thing that happens in the cycle ahead, she\u2019s not gonna gain any new voters. I don\u2019t think she\u2019s gonna convince enough people in the middle that she\u2019s miraculously the right fit this time around and has learned her lesson from 2022,\u201d said Grodsky, the former Arizona Democratic Party communications director.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/4254578-krysten-sinema-arizona-senate-race-ruben-gallego-democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senate Democratic leaders face a thorny path in Arizona\u2019s Senate race, where Democrat Ruben Gallego could potentially square off against not only a Republican, but also Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I), a former member Democrat. Some Arizona Democrats\u00a0expect\u00a0Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will support Gallego,\u00a0even if behind the scenes, noting the animosity many in the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":594412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/sinemakyrsten_gallegoruben_101323gn_split_senate-races.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[134344,134895,134343,71313,10574,90482,124783,144530,137101,112997,134446],"class_list":["post-594411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-administration","tag-arizona-senate-race","tag-campaign","tag-chuck-schumer","tag-education","tag-house","tag-international","tag-joe-lieberman","tag-krysten-sinema","tag-kyrsten-sinema","tag-sunday-talk-shows"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=594411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594411\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/594412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=594411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=594411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=594411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}