Arizona
Gallego promotes Republican support in Senate race against Lake
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego is promoting Republican backing for his Senate campaign as the congressman works to assemble a winning coalition in the swing state.
A list being released Sunday of Republican supporters of his campaign includes moderate Republicans and some former Republicans who held elected office or other roles in business or politics. Several are former aides to the late Sen. John McCain, the famed Arizona Republican and onetime prisoner of war who was known for occasionally bucking his party.
Gallego’s Republican opponent, Kari Lake, has criticized McCain in the past and once suggested he was a “loser.”
Democrats have made inroads in Arizona after decades of GOP dominance. While Republicans have more registered voters in the state, Sen. Mark Kelly, Gov. Katie Hobbs and other Democrats have cobbled together narrow victories by holding their party together, dominating among independents and getting support from an outsize share of Republicans who dislike the direction of the GOP under Donald Trump.
Lake is a former television news anchor and one of Trump’s most prominent supporters. Like Trump, she has promoted false and debunked theories of election fraud.
She says Gallego is a liberal Democrat who is out of step with Arizona’s moderate voters. Lake says the congressman votes in lockstep with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, supported legislation that worsened inflation and wants to eliminate the Senate filibuster to enact a liberal agenda.
Gallego, who served as a Marine in Iraq, is emphasizing his military service and financially humble upbringing as he looks to expand his stature beyond the safely Democratic district in Phoenix that he has represented since 2015. He says he is not afraid to push Biden when he disagrees with the administration’s policies, particularly around the U.S.-Mexico border. Gallego views the filibuster, which requires 60 Senate votes to pass most legislation, as a barrier to efforts to protect voting rights, abortion rights and other priorities.
Among those Republicans endorsing Gallego is Mesa Mayor John Giles, who has been a vocal supporter of Democrats running against Trump and his allies, including Biden and Kelly.
“I cannot in good conscience stand on the sidelines while extremists like Kari Lake, who have hijacked our party for the sake of personal gain, undermine the very fabric of what makes America exceptional,” Giles said in a statement released by Gallego’s campaign.
Gallego is emphasizing his military service as a Marine who faced difficult combat in Iraq, a biography with the potential to appeal across party lines.
“Like my former boss, Ruben has spent decades serving his country and state,” said Paul Hickman, a former state director for McCain who described himself as a lifelong Republican, in a statement released by Gallego’s campaign.
Lake’s GOP primary rival, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, earned about 40% of the vote Tuesday despite being outspent 5-to-1 by Lake, giving hope to Democrats that her Republican support remains soft.
When she accepted victory in the primary, Lake made a point of reaching out to those who voted against her, a stark contrast to her 2022 run for governor when she went after McCain and other Republicans who ran afoul of the right.
“This is an all hands on deck moment,” she said. “It’s going to take people from all walks of life.”
PHOENIX — The number of legal challenges to detentions in Arizona and nationwide has grown to record highs.
Immigration Attorney Hugo Balderas Ibarra said when someone is picked up by ICE, typical bond hearings are “pretty much out the window.”
“These policies that the administration is implementing violate the due process, violate fifth amendment,” Balderas Ibarra said.
This has led attorneys representing detained individuals to file what’s known as a habeas corpus petition.
“A habeas corpus petition is something in federal court that says the federal government is detaining me or confining me somewhere without basis in law,” New Frontier Immigration Law founder Hillary Walsh said.
Walsh said she filed three petitions on Friday alone.
“One of these is for an 18-year-old kid who has no criminal history,” Walsh said. “He came here to seek asylum a few years ago, and went through the whole process legally, asked at the border, did everything right, and now he’s detained.”
Data by TRAC shows the surge in the federal filings alleging illegal detention over the past year.
From 105 nationally in March 2025, to 9,059 the same month this year.
In Arizona, more than 1,100 cases have been filed between October and March, according to TRAC.
“A lot more people who are being detained, but we also have a whole other layer to the process for getting them out if they’re eligible for bond, and so that clogs up the whole federal court system,” Walsh said.
As the Iowa State Cyclones continue to reflect on what was a strong season, one of their top players from last year is in the portal and is the best player available.
After deciding to come back to college a couple of days ago, Milan Momcilovic is now the best player in the portal and has a number of suitors looking to bring him in. Due to the large amount of money that he is expected to get, it would be a complete shock if he came back to Iowa State at this point. However, where he goes could have an impact on the program.
Last season, the junior had a breakout year and emerged as one of the best shooters in the country. While there is still work to be done to translate his game to the next level, he is an impact player in college basketball.
However, where he might go is the big decision everyone is waiting to see. Currently, it appears to be a three-horse race between the Arizona Wildcats, Kentucky Wildcats, and the Louisville Cardinals. Of the three, the Cyclones certainly don’t want to see him go to one of those schools.
Momcilovic Choosing Arizona Would Be a Tough Blow
If the star shooter for the Cyclones were to choose the Wildcats, it would be a tough blow for Iowa State. While the Cyclones had a great season this year, it was Arizona that was a thorn in their side.
The Wildcats were able to beat them both in their regular-season matchup and then again in the Big 12 tournament. The game in the Big 12 was an absolute thriller and went right down to the wire.
While Iowa State might have lost, it was Momcilovic who had a fantastic game in the showdown. Now, as the talented sharpshooter mulls his decision on where to play next year, seeing him go to Arizona would be a tough blow for the Cyclones.
This was a team that beat them twice last year, and taking one of their best players would likely result in the Wildcats being considered a better team heading into next season as well.
While Iowa State did a great job in the transfer portal and has some young talent coming back, losing the best three-point shooter in the country is a big blow. Furthermore, since Kentucky and Louisville aren’t in the Big 12, seeing Momcilovic join one of those squads wouldn’t sting or have an impact on the Cyclones nearly as much.
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