Arizona leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties reacted to the announcement that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will join Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid to take the presidency in 2024. After being appointed the Democratic nominee in an irregular process disregarding the primary election, but prior to a largely ceremonial Democratic Convention, Harris announced Tuesday that Walz would join her as Vice Presidential nominee. Democrats in the state appeared to be largely toeing the party line with supportive statements, despite the very public snub of VP hopeful Sen. Mark Kelly. Republicans expressed concern that Walz will serve to radicalize the Democratic ticket further to the left.
As reported by AZ Capitol Times, Governor Katie Hobbs hailed the nomination saying she was “absolutely thrilled” about it. “I’ve had the chance to work with him directly on many issues and have seen first-hand his dedication to the American people,” she added, referring to her work with her fellow Democrat Governor. “I know the governors know what it takes to deliver for their states,” Hobbs told reporters. “And I am confident Gov. Walz and Vice President Harris will deliver for Arizona.”
Speaking to AZ Central, the normally rigid Hobbs uncharacteristically gushed at Walz, one of her few gubernatorial colleagues widely judged as more radically left, “Oh my gosh, you should have been in my house and heard my scream when I saw the news this morning. I’m absolutely thrilled that Vice President Harris has chosen him to be her running mate.”
In a post to X, Sen. Kelly, one of Walz’s chief rivals for the post wrote, “Vice President @KamalaHarris and Governor @Tim_Walz are going to move us forward. They’re already building a campaign to unite our country — and @GabbyGiffords and I are ready to do everything we can to help them win.”
Vice President @KamalaHarris and Governor @Tim_Walz are going to move us forward. They’re already building a campaign to unite our country — and @GabbyGiffords and I are ready to do everything we can to help them win.
Democrat Congressman and Senate nominee Ruben Gallego wrote a post to X, emphasizing Walz’s military service, which has come under heavy scrutiny with accusations that the Governor retired early, mid-training to avoid serving in Iraq, and losing his conditional rank as Command Sergeant Major.
Here is an official statement by CSM Thomas Behrends, who stepped up into the position that Tim Walz bailed from prior to the deployment. pic.twitter.com/wlPpZPWjM0
Gallego wrote that Walz, “served our country for 24 years as a National Guardsman. Serving together in the House, I saw firsthand how he’s willing to work with anyone to fight for our kids, our veterans, and our future — and our country is better off because of it. He’s a good man and will continue to serve our country well.”
.@tim_walz served our country for 24 years as a National Guardsman. Serving together in the House, I saw firsthand how he’s willing to work with anyone to fight for our kids, our veterans, and our future — and our country is better off because of it.
“We are incredibly excited to vote the Harris-Walz ticket into the White House this November,” Arizona Democratic Party Chairwoman Yolanda Bejarano offered in a written statement, “Both Vice President Harris and Governor Walz have a strong record of delivering results on the issues that Arizonans care most about– protecting abortion rights, helping working families get ahead, and protecting our democracy.”
Arizona Republicans took a decidedly different and far more concerned view of Walz, citing his heavily criticized lack of response to the 2020 BLM riots in Minneapolis as well as his radical-left policies. Republican Senate nominee Kari Lake shared images of Minneapolis burning and wrote, “While violent mobs were burning down American cities like Minneapolis, @Tim_Walz was cheering them on @KamalaHarris was bailing them out @RubenGallego was marching with them Radicals.”
While violent mobs were burning down American cities like Minneapolis,@Tim_Walz was cheering them on@KamalaHarris was bailing them out@RubenGallego was marching with them
Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ5) expressed similar concerns writing, “Tim Walz let his state burn, and Kamala raised money to bail these criminals out of jail. This is the America that the radical Left wants.”
Tim Walz let his state burn, and Kamala raised money to bail these criminals out of jail.
Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ2), himself a veteran Navy SEAL sniper, shared a post to X citing a New York Post article exploring the allegation of stolen valor against Walz. According to the report, retired Command Sergeants Major Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr wrote, “On May 16th, 2005, [Walz] quit, betraying his country, leaving the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion and its Soldiers hanging; without its senior Non-Commissioned Officer, as the battalion prepared for war,” in a letter first revealed by The Daily Wire.
The Republican Party of Arizona presented a damning record of Tim Walz in a post to X writing, “THE RADICAL RECORD OF TIM WALZ”:
Hesitated to deploy the National Guard during the 2020 riots, letting Minneapolis burn
Supports sanctuary cities and states, weakening our border security
Wants taxpayer dollars to fund health care and college for illegal immigrants
Advocates for universal health care and higher taxes on hardworking Americans
Defends the right to abortion on demand up until the moment of birth
Opposes voter ID laws, undermining election integrity
Admitted his “white privilege” and sympathized with vandals who tore down historic statues
Wants to phase out fossil fuels and impose strict emissions standards, harming our economy
Cozied up to China throughout his career, praising their “spectacular” modernization
Faced DUI charges and misrepresented his military rank
The AZGOP concluded, “Tim Walz is DANGEROUS for America. We can’t afford to let the far-left policies of the Harris-Walz ticket destroy our country.”
Arizona’s Republican Primary for the open seat in the U.S. Senate between former Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb quickly became a heated one.
While Lake faced criticism for referring to Lamb as a “total coward when it comes to election integrity” who “surrendered to the establishment” during the GOP Senate Forum, Lamb decried her as “a divider,” rather than a “uniter.” He stated, “It’s time she takes some personal responsibility for losing an election that she was supposed to win,” referring to her 2022 defeat by Gov. Katie Hobbs in a statement published to X.
Although the results are not finalized in many of the races, according to state and county officials, the unofficial results stand thusly as of noon on July 31 according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.
The Arizona Republican U.S. Senate Nominee is Kari Lake — According to current results, Lake defeated Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb 55.3%-39.3% by a difference of 98,644 votes.
In a post to X, Lake shared her acceptance of the nomination and wrote, “I want to thank everyone who put in their blood, sweat, & tears, knocking on doors, volunteering, & working for our campaign I love every one of you I want to thank Arizonans for entrusting me to be their voice. And I want to thank my family, I couldn’t do any of this without them.”
I want to thank everyone who put in their blood, sweat, & tears, knocking on doors, volunteering, & working for our campaign
I love every one of you
I want to thank Arizonans for entrusting me to be their voice
As of this report it doesn’t appear that Mark Lamb has issued a concession or any statement regarding the race.
Lake will face Democrat Congressman Ruben Gallego who won the Democratic nomination unopposed, garnering 424,088 votes.
According to Cook Political, the race for the seat of outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) leans Democrat. The RealClearPolling average as of this report shows Gallego leading by 3.4 points.
In a post to X, and during her nomination acceptance, Lake seemed to adopt a conciliatory tone toward Lamb writing, “[Sheriff Lamb] was never an opponent. He’s my friend. I truly appreciate everything he’s given to Arizona, and I know he’s not done fighting for it. He’s not done protecting it. He ran a great campaign, and I look forward to working together with him in the future.”
In her comments she thanked him and referred to him as her friend saying, “He ran a great campaign…that never hit below the belt, which is so rare in politics.” She complimented him saying, ”That is a great man. That is a man of great character.”
.@sherifflamb1 was never an opponent. He's my friend.
I truly appreciate everything he's given to Arizona, and I know he's not done fighting for it. He's not done protecting it.
He ran a great campaign, and I look forward to working together with him in the future. pic.twitter.com/qdf1oFuPFo
Democrat Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), alongside fellow Democrat Rep. Greg Stanton, broke with the rest of the Arizona Congressional Delegation and voted against The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act on July 10. The move from Gallego comes as a surprise to some given his own bill, the Voting Clarity Act, which, as reported by AZ Free News, would advise illegal immigrants applying for asylum that it is illegal for them to vote under federal law.
In a press release in early July, Gallego said definitively that voting rights should not be extended to illegal immigrants. He told reporters: “That is why it is critical that those seeking to enter the U.S. are told clearly and upfront that they cannot vote in our elections if they are not citizens.”
He added, “I’m proud to introduce this commonsense bill to combat misinformation about who can, and cannot vote in our federal elections.”
His vote against the SAVE Act would seem to vindicate a statement from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) claiming that the Voting Clarity Act was merely an attempt to “pander” to Arizona voters concerned about the border. The NRSC rebuked him saying, “Ruben Gallego has been rubber-stamping the far left’s most radical, open border policies for his entire career in Washington. His election year pandering is a slap in the face to Arizonans who are facing the brunt of the border crisis Gallego helped create.”
Indeed, a vote against the SAVE Act would appear to contradict the sentiments of Gallego’s own “Voting Clarity Act,” in that the SAVE Act only serves to reinforce the laws that Gallego would advise illegal immigrants to obey.
Prohibit states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.
Prohibit states from registering an individual to vote in a federal election unless, at the time the individual applies to register to vote, the individual provides documentary proof of U.S. citizenship; and
Require states to establish an alternative process under which an applicant may submit other evidence to demonstrate U.S. citizenship.
Each state must take affirmative steps on an ongoing basis to ensure that only U.S. citizens are registered to vote, which shall include establishing a program to identify individuals who are not U.S. citizens using information supplied by specified sources.
The text of both bills are complimentary in most respects, with Gallego’s bill stating unequivocally, “The Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide information to each alien applying for asylum under this section on the restrictions on voting and the penalties for voting unlawfully under Federal law, including under section 611 of title 18, United States Code, at the time of such application. Information under this paragraph shall be provided in a form and language that the alien can understand.’’.
In a mailer obtained by Cactus Politics, Republican Senate Candidate Kari Lake’s campaign reportedly responded to Gallego’s vote against the SAVE Act that stated, “On Wednesday, Ruben Gallego voted AGAINST the SAVE Act, which would prevent illegal immigrants and non-U.S. citizens from voting in our elections and establish penalties for intentionally registering non-citizens to vote. Notably, Arizona currently tells voters that if their citizenship cannot be confirmed, they will receive a federal-only ballot, allowing them to vote in Presidential, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House Elections.”
Lake is quoted as saying, “Ruben Gallego helped Joe Biden open our border and allowed millions of illegal aliens into America. Then, today, to add insult to injury, Ruben spat in the face of every law-abiding American when he voted to allow illegal immigrants to vote in our elections. Our elections are sacred. We will NOT allow Biden and Gallego to water down our vote and disenfranchise American citizens. Ruben Gallego is the most radical member of Congress, and this November, Arizona will reject him and his owner, Joe Biden.”
During her remarks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Lake noted Gallego’s vote against the SAVE Act saying, “Americans are waking up to the truth about the disastrous Democrat policies pushed by Joe Biden and his favorite Congressman, my opponent Ruben Gallego. These guys, they are full, they’re full of bad ideas. Just last week Ruben Gallego voted to let the millions of people who poured into our country illegally cast a ballot in this upcoming election. Gallego and the Democrats have handed over control of my state, Arizona’s, border to the drug cartels and because of them, criminals and deadly drugs are pouring in and our children are dying. Our children are getting their hands on these drugs and dying.”
Gallego campaign spokeswoman Hannah Goss responded to Lake’s remarks in a statement published by the Arizona Mirror saying, “Kari Lake stood on stage and proved to everyone that she will say anything to get power — including lie to Arizonans to distract from her dangerous plan to ban abortion without exceptions for rape or incest.” Notably, the statement from Gallego’s spokeswoman failed to address the Congressman’s contradictory vote against the SAVE Act.
New internal polling from the National Republican Senate Committee announced by Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake’s campaign shows that Lake now leads Democrat Congressman Ruben Gallego by one-point in the narrow race. The survey further demonstrated that the contentious race for President between former President Donald Trump and Democrat incumbent President Joe Biden is casting a large shadow over the down-ballot races.
An NRSC Memo obtained by The Washington Post regarding the poll stated, “In the multi-party ballot for the presidential race, President Trump leads Joe Biden by a significant margin of +11 (46% to 34%) among likely votes. This trend is crucial as it demonstrates a strong Republican presence in Arizona, which can positively influence down-ballot races like the Senate contest.” The NRSC also endorsed Kari Lake in February as reported by Politico; she also enjoys the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
A press release from Lake’s campaign noted that among undecided voters, Trump holds a 7% lead over Biden which bodes well for Lake.
NRSC memo on Arizona Senate race: The latest NRSC survey shows Kari Lake leading Ruben Gallego by one point, 47% to 46%, among likely voters —aligning with another recent poll on the race. Trump’s standing in Arizona could help down-ballot candidates like Lake. pic.twitter.com/dUsYCJ3Ekx
— Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (@yvonnewingett) June 20, 2024
The NRSC concluded that while the race is still “a pure toss up,” Lake is “well positioned to win.” The memo explained, “The undecided voting block presents a significant opportunity to further define Ruben Gallego and attract more support for Lake. Given the unfavorable views of President Biden among undecided voters, Lake has a pathway to consolidate and expand her base.”
The Lake campaign released a statement along with the announcement saying, “Arizonans overwhelmingly disapprove of Joe Biden’s performance. Soon, Arizonans will learn just how closely Ruben Gallego is tied to Joe Biden and his radical policies – voting with him 100% of the time – and they won’t approve of his record either. Kari Lake is ready to get to the U.S. Senate to help President Trump implement the policies that provided Arizonans, and Americans as a whole, with historic peace and prosperity.”
The Lake campaign notes that the NRSC result aligns with credible pollsters citing “the bipartisan AARP Poll conducted by President Trump and Joe Biden’s pollster.” It would appear to diverge from many mainstream polls which have shown Lake trailing Gallego from 3-6 points since early June, according to RealClear Politics. The AARP poll which showed Gallego ahead by 3 points found in part, “One reason Gallego is ahead is Democrats are more consolidated in their backing of him than Republicans are behind Lake. Additionally, Independents, who favored Trump by 6-points, give Gallego an 8-point edge.”
The NRSC poll by contrast could indicate that Lake is succeeding in consolidating her base.
A majority of Arizona sheriffs have chosen to side with their fellow Sheriff Mark Lamb in the Senate race over Trump-endorsed Kari Lake, due to the implications of her recently calling Lamb a “coward” for not helping overturn the 2022 election.
Lake shifted some of the blame for her gubernatorial loss onto Lamb during an online forum last month with the Arizona chapter of the Association of Mature American Citizens. In a press release from Lamb’s campaign, the sheriffs of nine counties signed onto a letter condemning Lake’s attack.
“Kari Lake’s recent comment calling Sheriff Mark Lamb a ‘coward’ is both unfounded and disrespectful,” said the statement. “We want to make it clear: neither Sheriff Mark Lamb nor any law enforcement officer who wears a badge and uniform, putting their life on the line every day to protect and serve our communities, is a coward. Arizona voters expect better from a political candidate, especially when they are running for the U.S. Senate.”
Sheriffs Adam Shepard, Gila; David Clouse, Navajo; David Rhodes, Yavapai; Doug Schuster, Mohave; Leon Wilmot, Yuma; Mark Dannels, Cochise; PJ Allred, Graham; Russ Skinner, Maricopa; and William Ponce, La Paz signed onto the letter. Sheriff candidates Jerry Sheridan, Maricopa; Mike Crawford, Maricopa; and Ross Teeple, Pinal also signed onto the letter.
The panel in which Lake criticized Lamb wasn’t designed as a debate, but in some respects it became one. Lake accused Lamb of cowardice for not using law enforcement authority to facilitate change in the 2022 election’s outcome.
“I took every hit fighting for security in our elections. Sheriffs had the ability to fight, and the sheriff in Pinal County cowered, and he’s a total coward when it comes to election integrity,” said Lake.
Lamb responded with accusations that Lake’s assessment about his involvement in scrutinizing the 2022 election wasn’t entirely truthful. Lamb said that Pinal County fired those responsible for underprinting ballots, as well as established cameras and citizen monitors for drop boxes.
“Yes, we didn’t print enough ballots [in 2022] in Pinal County, and guess who didn’t complain about it because she won the primary? Kari didn’t. It didn’t matter to her until the general election,” said Lamb. “I live in a world of evidence, what you can prove in court beyond a reasonable doubt. […] Any one of these people, including Kari, could’ve brought me the evidence that was actionable for me in court to do something about it.”
Outside of the scuffle in the panel, Lake has aimed her attacks on Democratic opponent Ruben Gallego.
My opponent @RubenGallego has the full backing of the Soros family
This family funds the most insidious elements of the radical left's agenda:
– Open borders – Democrat lawfare & persecution – Pro-terrorist encampments on our college campuses – Censorship – Rising crime
Lake criticized Gallego for not debating, though she has refused to debate Lamb. The GOP debate for Senate candidates is scheduled for June 26, about a week before early voting, and Lamb will be there.
🚨Watch & Share🚨
I challenged @RubenGallego to a debate on the one issue that he likes to talk about.
Unlike @JoeBiden, Gallego refuses to debate his opponent.
That’s because the minute Joe goes off script, the American people will know he's mentally diminished,
Should Lake not show up for the debate, the Citizens Clean Elections Commission will pivot to host a 30-minute Q&A with Lamb rather than a 60-minute debate.
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