A political action committee that endorses Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) released a new advertisement targeting Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) on Tuesday, with its release timed one day after Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake released her own commercial labeling Gallego and Sinema as “enablers” of President Joe Biden.
“When Republicans take back the U.S. Senate, we will fix the problems caused by [Biden] and his enablers [Sinema] and [Gallego],” wrote Lake in a Monday post to X, formerly Twitter, containing her campaign’s new ad.
She promised, “I will work with President Trump to make Arizona, and America, Safe, Affordable and Great Again.”
🚨NEW AD🚨
When Republicans take back the U.S. Senate, we will fix the problems caused by @JoeBiden and his enablers @kyrstensinema and @RubenGallego.
I will work with President Trump to make Arizona, and America, Safe, Affordable and Great Again.https://t.co/Q3GcAevf0X pic.twitter.com/CX3m9iI5Vv
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) January 15, 2024
The Replace Sinema PAC, which “proudly” endorses Gallego, released its own ad on X just over 24 hours later.
The video from the pro-Gallego group focuses on Sinema’s financial scandals, noting she allegedly used campaign money to fund hotels, vacations, and visits to luxurious restaurants.
On X, the group wrote that more than half “of Arizona voters stated they are less likely to vote for Sinema after hearing about her luxury spending scandal and Wall Street ties” before declaring the senator “sold out.”
52% of Arizona voters stated they are less likely to vote for Sinema after hearing about her luxury spending scandal and Wall Street ties.
So we put out an ad to let all of Arizona know: SINEMA SOLD OUT. Watch it here: pic.twitter.com/EfqNqeNyc3
— Replace Sinema PAC (@ReplaceSinema) January 16, 2024
The ads follow the Thursday release of a survey by a Democratic Party-affiliated polling company, which showed Lake beating both Gallego and Sinema in a three-way race.
Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in 2022 but still caucuses with Democrats and accepts Democratic committee assignments, has not announced whether she will seek reelection in 2024. However, a campaign strategy document obtained by the media last year revealed she will enter the race and seek to form a winning coalition from disaffected Republicans and independent voters while allowing Gallego to secure the vote of most Arizona Democrats.
While some polls have shown Sinema’s best polling is among independents and Republicans, she has not yet won in a poll of Arizona voters despite her purported strategy.
They also come after an advertising industry publication projected in September that Arizona will receive more than $800 million in political advertising, making it the most expensive of any battleground state.
A likely contest between Lake, Gallego, and Sinema is likely to make it “the most expensive Senate race” in 2024, according to AdImpact, which noted that Arizona’s reputation for “razor-thin margins” and Phoenix’s status as “one of the most expensive markets in the country” will necessitate $821 million in advertising before the November elections.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Kyrsten Sinema” by Replace Sinema PAC.
