EXCLUSIVE — An Arizona mayor in a major border town is endorsing Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) for Senate as immigration and border security are at the forefront of both local and national politics.
San Luis Mayor Nieves Riedel announced her endorsement of Gallego’s bid for Senate on Wednesday. San Luis, a small border town near Yuma, has seen rising levels of migration.
“Ruben Gallego consistently demonstrates a deep commitment to the needs of the San Luis community, understands the unique challenges we face, and illustrates a willingness to work with anyone to get the job done,” Riedel said in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner.
“His vision for a better Arizona aligns with the values we hold here in San Luis. I am proud to endorse Ruben Gallego for the U.S. Senate and am confident that his leadership will bring positive and practical change not only to our community, but to the entire state,” she added.
Riedel, a Democrat who immigrated to the United States from Mexico, was elected in August 2022 for a second term. The city has a sizable majority-Latino population, and Yuma County, where San Luis is located, voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020.
Riedel’s endorsement comes after Santa Cruz County Sheriff David Hathaway, a Democrat who represents a dark blue county in the battleground state, endorsed the Arizona congressman earlier this spring. The sheriff oversees a county that includes Nogales, a critical point of entry with Mexico. Santa Cruz County is considered a Democratic stronghold in the Grand Canyon State and voted overwhelmingly for President Joe Biden in 2020 and Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
“I am proud to have Mayor Riedel’s endorsement in this race,” Gallego said. “She has been a true partner in the work to support Arizona’s border communities, invest in our local economies, and break down the barriers to homeownership.”
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Even as Gallego appears to be making waves with border region officials, immigration politics has been a major weakness for Biden. The administration just recently unveiled an executive order to limit asylum-seekers, one of the most urgent political problems in his reelection push. The move comes weeks ahead of Biden’s first debate with Trump.
Gallego has held a consistent lead over the leading Republican Senate candidate, Kari Lake, in recent polling. The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election forecaster, changed its prediction from “toss-up” to “lean Democrat” recently, handing Democrats welcome news in the hotly contested race in the Grand Canyon State. The two are running for a seat being vacated by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), an independent who caucuses with Democrats.