PHOENIX — Arizona Senate candidates Republican Kari Lake and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego faced off in the first and only debate as early voting began Wednesday, competing on vastly different track records.
“You've been to Mar-a-Lago more than you've been to the border,” Gallego told Lake, a close aide to former President Donald Trump.
He also asked Lake if he would accept defeat in the 2022 gubernatorial race, but the Republican avoided addressing the issue of climate change that the hosts actually raised.
Lake criticized Gallego's seeming shift to the center early in the debate, noting that he co-chaired the House Progressive Caucus.
“Tonight, we are going to watch someone try to reinvent themselves,” she said of her opponent, who is out of the Progressive Caucus because he is seeking office in the Senate. Lake also said the spending “sold us out to Ukraine” instead of focusing on the border.
Beyond these heated exchanges, much of the debate focused on border security and immigration, two top issues among voters in the Grand Canyon State.
“Murderers, criminals and terrorists are coming in,” Lake said, citing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement report that found 13,000 convicted murderers have crossed the border. “It was,” he said. The numbers are not limited to people entering the country under the Biden administration, but the report shows a significant increase over the past four years.
Lake also voiced support for President Trump's plan to restart wall construction and the Biden-Harris administration's plan to deport illegal immigrants.
Mr. Gallego voiced support for a border bill in Congress, advocated by Democrats and a few Republicans, that he said would stop fentanyl trafficking and improve some immigration laws.
“We've been bipartisan on this since day one,” he said, adding that he supports legislation that would make it easier for veterans to become Border Patrol agents.
Candidates were also asked about abortion, given that there is another proposal on the Arizona ballot that would enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution.
“That's up to us, and we'll make a decision in November,” Lake said, adding that she doesn't support a federal ban on abortion or taxpayer dollars going toward the procedure. “It's up to us and I want us to make that choice and I'm going to respect whatever choice ends up being made.”
Gallego said he joined many national Democrats who want federal protections for abortion access after the Supreme Court sends the issue back to the states in 2022, saying, “I would codify Roe.'' Deaf,” he said.
The economy was also a focus of discussion. In particular, President Trump's tax plan from 2017, which is due to expire in 2025, became a focus of discussion. Lake said on stage that he supports extending the tax cuts.
In the spin room after the debate, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said President Trump's proposal to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime would be some changes between current law and the revamped policy. He said it would be.
Democrats say that “a child tax credit must also be included as part of the Trump tax cuts,'' but that they have concerns about how this tax provision will benefit the wealthy compared to the middle class. Ta.
The candidates are seeking the seat held by outgoing independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who announced she would leave the Democratic Party in 2022 and not run for re-election in March.
According to , Gallego maintains an average approval rating of 7.8%. real clear politicsand cook political report ranks the campaign as a “lean democracy.”
As expected, both campaigns took victory laps after the night was over.
“Tonight you heard two very different versions of our future,” Gallego tweeted. “Kali will continue to divide our community and spread dangerous lies just to hold on to power. I believe in a better way. People from all over Arizona and of all political parties will continue to work together for a better future. We are working together.”
Lake's campaign said, “Tonight's debate was a clear victory for Kari Lake.'' “Mr. Cari was able to effectively expose Gallego's 10-year radical record in Congress and come up with a plan to fix the problems he caused. Ruben Gallego has not been able to do anything about his record or his flip-flops on this issue. We couldn't be more proud of Arizona's next senator, Kari Lake.”
