Gallego receives endorsement of fourth Arizona border mayor in Senate bid against Kari Lake

EXCLUSIVE — The mayor of a border town in Arizona is set to endorse Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), giving the Democratic candidate a boost in what is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched Senate races of the 2024 cycle.

Bisbee Mayor Ken Budge announced his endorsement Wednesday, making him the latest border mayor from the swing state to back Gallego’s Senate bid as immigration and border security remain top issues in the 2024 cycle. Budge praised Gallego in a statement first shared with the Washington Examiner, lauding the House Democrat as the "best candidate in this race to address the situation at the border."

“I am proud to join my fellow local leaders from across Arizona in endorsing Ruben’s bid for the U.S. Senate because I know he will always fight for us,” Budge said in a statement. “Ruben understands the unique challenges our Southern Arizona communities face, takes the time to meet with local leaders, and has the vision and follow through to deliver. ... His commitment to bring people together and finding solutions will benefit not only Bisbee, but all of Arizona.”

The support comes as Republicans view the open seat of retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) as one of their best opportunities to seize control of the upper chamber next year. Gallego is expected to face GOP candidate Kari Lake, who has attempted to frame the Democratic lawmaker as an “open-borders radical.”

However, Gallego has managed to receive support from several local border representatives, including San Luis Mayor Nieves Riedel and two other mayors, as well as Santa Cruz County Sheriff David Hathaway. His campaign has accused Lake of misconstruing his voting record on the border, citing attack ads that have been deemed “ misleading ” and “ deceitful ” by some fact-checking organizations.

Polling shows a tight contest in Arizona, but the most recent surveys show Gallego with a healthy lead over Lake in the swing state. Gallego leads Lake by 8 points according to the latest survey by Rasmussen Reports, and the Democrat holds an average 6.7-point lead over his opponent according to RealClearPolitics.

The race is expected to lean Democratic based on predictions from the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which is a shift from earlier this year that deemed the seat a toss-up.

Lake’s allies initially pointed to former President Donald Trump’s polling in Arizona compared to President Joe Biden, although that lead has narrowed since Vice President Kamala Harris replaced the incumbent at the top of the ticket. Polling averages put Trump only half a percentage point ahead of Harris, according to RealClearPolitics.

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There are 34 Senate seats up for grabs in the 2024 election cycle. Of these, Democrats must defend 23, compared to just 11 for Republicans. Nearly all competitive seats are held by Democrats, putting them on the defensive as they try to maintain their slim majority.

Democrats control the Senate by one vote, with the advantage of Harris as a tiebreaker if necessary. As a result, Republicans only need to flip one Senate seat to win the majority should they win back the White House in 2024. If they do not regain the Oval Office, they need to secure two extra Senate seats.