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Gallego outraising Arizona opponents for Senate in recent campaign filings

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Gallego outraising Arizona opponents for Senate in recent campaign filings


PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Arizona could once again be one of the most important senate races on the line in next year’s election. Publically, this high-stakes contest has been pretty quiet so far. Behind the scenes, the candidates are busy fundraising and laying campaign foundations.

Just like last year, the eyes of the country will be on Arizona next November. Not only could voters here determine the White House in 2024, but also the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

Democratic congressman Ruben Gallego announced his run for senate in January. Three months later, the Republican sheriff of Pinal County, Mark Lamb, followed. Since then, no other major candidates have jumped into the race, including the woman who currently holds the seat, Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.

Arizona’s senior senator still hasn’t revealed if she plans to seek a second term. Still, she and the other declared senate candidates filed their latest round of campaign finance reports. Those reports reveal Gallego outraised everyone, pulling in about $3.1 million to Sinema’s $1.7 million. Sheriff Lamb came in a distant third at $600,000 raised over the past 3 months.

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Democratic consultant Adam Kinsey says, “the big takeaway is that for the second quarter in a row, Ruben Gallego has outraised an incumbent U.S. Senator in Kyrsten Sinema, and he did so 2 to 1.” Kinsey adds that Gallego outraised the only Republican in the field by 5 to 1.

As for the incumbent, Sinema’s team released a statement that said in part that “she remains focused on solving challenges facing everyday Arizonans, not campaign politics.”

“The question has always been, is she going to run? Is she not going to run?” Kinsey says. “I think the senator is very smart, and she understands how difficult it is, and I think she probably looks at fundraising reports like this, and it may impact her decision. But we just don’t know.”

While the political world waits on Sinema to make up her mind, there’s another high-profile name that could also shake up the race. The 2022 Republican nominee for Arizona governor, Kari Lake. One recent report suggests she’s going to wait until the fall to announce her decision.

Sinema still leads with the amount of cash she currently has available, about $10.7 million in the coffers, to Gallgo’s $3.8 million.

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Arizona

Arizona ‘villain’ Charles Smith arrested after filming himself spray bug killer pesticide on food inside Walmart

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Arizona ‘villain’ Charles Smith arrested after filming himself spray bug killer pesticide on food inside Walmart


A self-described Arizona social media “villain” was arrested after he filmed himself allegedly spraying bed bug killer on groceries inside a Walmart as he boasted to police about his prank videos.

Charles Smith, 27, is accused of grabbing a can of Hot Shot Ultra Bed Bug and Flea Killer and unleashing the pesticide on a series of perishable items in the Mesa, Ariz. megastore around 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 19.

In the now-deleted video, the influencer filmed himself wearing a black hoodie and pink bandana while spraying the toxin on bananas, acorn squash, potatoes, lemons, green apples and Roma tomatoes at the store — located in a neighborhood southeast of Phoenix.

Charles Smith was accused of spraying a bed bug killer on groceries inside a Walmart. ImTheMainCharacter/Reddit

Police claim the TikTokker, who goes by the username WolfieKahletti, intentionally went to the store to film pranks for his channel.

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Smith identifies as an online “troll,” according to court documents viewed by Az Family. He has more than 300,000 followers on TikTok.

The troublemaker allegedly told police that he makes between $6,000 – $10,000 per month filming his provocative prank videos.

”I think social media has got people doing crazy things out here,” Walmart shopper Xavier Griego told the outlet. “It’s unfortunate that somebody would mess up their whole life, potentially, for something on social media for views.”

Smith voluntarily turned himself over to police on Dec. 21.

The prankster reportedly posted the video on his TikTok page with over 300K followers. ImTheMainCharacter/Reddit
Walmart claimed it removed the contaminated items and cleaned the areas that were hit. ImTheMainCharacter/Reddit

He faces charges of introducing poison (a felony) as well as three misdemeanors that include criminal damage, endangerment and theft.

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A spokesperson from Walmart told AZ Family that store employees removed the directly impacted products and cleaned the affected areas of the store.

It’s not clear if any customers were injured from eating the contaminated items.

Smith voluntarily turned himself over to the police on Dec. 21. ImTheMainCharacter/Reddit

“This incident underscores the potential dangers of reckless actions disguised as social media pranks,” the Mesa Police Department said in a statement. 

Other videos posted online by Smith include the posts of him seemingly mixing in bacon and eggs in a stranger’s load at the laundromat as well as locking people inside a different grocery store.

Smith is charged with a felony and three misdemeanors. ImTheMainCharacter/Reddit

The spray is “harmful if swallowed” and “prolonged or frequently repeated skin contact may cause allergic reactions in some individuals” per HotShot’s website. 

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Suspects convicted of tampering with consumer products face up to 5 to 20 years in prison.

In 2022, an Arizona man was sentenced to 10 years of probation after being convicted of adding harmful chemicals to food at several retail stores in the Phoenix area.

David Lohr was ordered to pay restitution to a grocery chain for $390.42 and ordered to participate in a mental health evaluation and any additional recommended treatment.

There were no reported injuries or illnesses associated with the tampered items during the 2018 stunt, prosecutors said.

Lohr was accused of tampering with products at stores in California one year later and sentenced to a 51-month prison term followed by three years of supervised release with mental health services.

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Love scores 24 points as Arizona rolls to a 94-41 win over Central Michigan

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Love scores 24 points as Arizona rolls to a 94-41 win over Central Michigan


Associated Press

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Caleb Love matched his season-high with 24 points to help power Arizona to a 94-41 rout of Central Michigan on Saturday.

The Wildcats (6-5) won back-to-back games for the first time since beating Canisius and Old Dominion to open the season.

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The Chippewas (5-6) scored the game’s first three points but Love knocked down three 3-pointers and scored 18 first-half points to put Arizona firmly in charge at intermission, 44-23.

Arizona shot 54.5% from the field, including 10 of 29 from distance, and got 44 points from its bench. K.J. Lewis hit 4 of 8 from the field and 5 of 5 from the line for 13 points to lead the reserves. Tobe Awaka added a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Wildcats dominated the boards, outrebounding the Chippewas 45-27.

Central Michigan struggled from the field, hitting just 14 of 54 (25.9%), including just 3 of 16 from distance. Cayden Vasko hit 4 of 13, including 2 of 5 from 3-point range, to lead the team with 10 points.

Arizona opens Big 12 Conference play at home when it plays host to TCU on Dec. 30. Central Michigan will look to snap its three-game losing string on Dec. 30 when it plays host to Cleary.

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Ex-Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi commits to Arizona

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Ex-Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi commits to Arizona


After getting hired as Arizona’s offensive coordinator, Seth Doege said his scheme is one that can be effective through the air and on the ground. And now he’s added a playmaker who has shown the ability to produce in both areas in a similar system.

Former Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi has committed to Arizona, giving the Wildcats a versatile ball carrier who can also catch passes out of the backfield.

The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Mahdi ran for 2,322 yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons with the Bobcats, adding 44 catches for 470 yards and three TDs as well as a score off a kick return. He has more than 3,500 all-purpose yards the last two seasons, with another 900 and five scores from the 2022 season at FCS Houston Christian.

Texas State runs a spread attack similar to what Doege used at Marshall, one that averaged 37.1 points and almost 475 yards per game this fall.

Ismail is Arizona’s 10th transfer pickup, fifth on offense and third at a skill position along with former New Mexico receiver Luke Wysong and ex-Washington State receiver Kris Hutson.

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