EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Ruben Gallego’s (D-AZ) campaign released the second television ad of his Senate run on Thursday, acknowledging economic concerns voters are facing, days after announcing a major fundraising haul during the first three months of the year.
Campaign officials said they are spending over $1 million on the 30-second ad titled “Breathe Easier,” which will air on television across the Phoenix and Tucson markets and digitally beginning Thursday.
In the ad, Gallego reflects on his childhood and the current economic situation, emphasizing he knows what it’s like for families living paycheck to paycheck.
“Growing up, I watched my single mom work so hard to raise me and my three sisters on a secretary’s pay, so I know how hard you’re working,” Gallego says, as childhood photos of himself and his family are shown. “But, your wages just haven’t kept up with costs, and that’s not your fault.”
The Arizona Democratic congressman, who was first elected in 2014, then reflects on his accomplishments in the House and his goals in the future.
“That’s why in Congress I fought to lower the cost of prescriptions by holding pharmaceutical companies accountable,” Gallego says in the ad. “In the Senate, I’ll keep fighting big corporations so hardworking Arizonans can breathe a little easier.”
Recent polling analysis shows that Gallego has low name recognition in the state. Advertisements released by his team have attempted to introduce the Arizona Democrat to voters ahead of the November election.
Last month, Gallego’s campaign released his first ad, a one-minute spot with the title, “Lucky Lima,” in which the congressman reflected on his military service as a U.S. Marine.
Earlier in the week, Gallego’s campaign announced it raised $7.5 million in the first three months of the year, more than doubling his prior quarterly filings after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) decided against running for reelection last month.
So far this cycle, the Arizona congressman has raised about $20.5 million, according to campaign finance records, making him one of the Democratic Party’s most prolific fundraisers behind vulnerable incumbent Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Jon Tester (D-MT).
Gallego is likely to face Kari Lake, the front-running Republican candidate, in a race considered a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. He is among the first Senate candidates to unveil his first-quarter fundraising total for 2024. Lake has yet to announce hers.
Lake, a former TV anchor and gubernatorial candidate, raised $2.1 million in the fourth fundraising quarter of 2023. Earlier this week, she raised $1 million at a fundraising event at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, according to sources familiar with the situation.
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Polling shows a close contest between Gallego and Lake, but the most recent surveys indicate the Democrat has an edge in the critical swing state. Gallego leads Lake by 8 percentage points, 36% to 28%, according to a recent poll by RABA Research. That poll was conducted during the last week of March.
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 — and nearly all competitive seats are held by Democrats, putting them on the defensive as they try to maintain their slim majority.