Arizona

How Democrat Ruben Gallego Was Elected Senator in Trump’s Arizona

Published

2 years ago

November 12, 2024

How Democrat Ruben Gallego Was Elected Senator in Trump’s Arizona

PHOENIX — Democrat Ruben Gallego has been elected Arizona’s first Latino U.S. senator, defeating Republican Kari Lake and preventing Republicans from further padding their Senate majority.

Gallego’s victory continues a string of Democratic successes for the Senate in a state that was reliably Republican for those seats until Donald Trump was elected president in 2016. Arizona voters had rejected Trump-endorsed candidates in every election since, but the president-elect won Arizona this year over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris

“Gracias, Arizona!” Gallego wrote on the social platform X.

With Gallego’s win, the GOP will have 53 seats in the 100-member Senate.

Gallego is a five-term House member and an Iraq War veteran with an up-by-the-bootstraps life story that he featured prominently in his public appearances and ads. He will replace Kyrsten Sinema, whose 2018 victory as a Democrat created a formula that the party has successfully replicated ever since.

Sinema left the Democratic Party two years ago after she antagonized the party’s left wing. She considered running for a second term as an independent but bowed out when it was clear she had no clear path to victory.

“Yes, he could!” several Gallego supporters shouted in Spanish as he offered his first comments after the race was called.

“I will fight for Arizona in Washington,” Gallego told the cheering supporters, saying that he would fight as much for the people who did not vote for him as the ones who did.

In his brief remarks, Gallego several times mentioned the single mother who raised him, crediting her with his success. He promised to work to fix what he said was the nation’s broken immigration system, and would continue to fight for veterans and for women’s reproductive rights.

The Associated Press left a voicemail and email message seeking comment from Lake’s campaign Monday night.

With Gallego’s win, there was only one more major race left uncalled in Arizona. The race between Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani and Democrat Kirsten Engel for the 6th Congressional District remained too early to call.

Gallego ran ahead of Harris, suggesting a substantial number of voters supported Trump at the top of the ticket and the Democrat for Senate, a pattern seen in Sinema’s victory and both of Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly’s wins in 2020 and 2022. Ticket-splitters also were decisive in the Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada Senate races this year, which Democrats won even as Trump won their states.

Republicans flipped Democratic-controlled Senate seats in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Montana. In the latter three cases, defeated Sens. Sherrod Brown, Bob Casey and Jon Tester also ran ahead of Harris but couldn’t overcome their states’ shifts toward the GOP.

Gallego led comfortably after the first results were released on election night, but his lead narrowed as more ballots were counted. Arizona is notorious for a drawn-out count because most people vote by mail—which takes longer to verify and process—including many who drop off ballots on Election Day.

The son of immigrants from Mexico and Colombia, Gallego was raised in Chicago and eventually accepted to Harvard University. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and fought in Iraq in 2005 in a unit that sustained heavy casualties, including the death of his best friend.

Gallego maintained a significant fundraising advantage throughout the race. He relentlessly attacked Lake’s support for a state law dating to the Civil War that outlawed abortions under nearly all circumstances. Lake tacked to the middle on the issue, infuriating some of her allies on the right by opposing a federal abortion ban.

Gallego portrayed Lake as a liar who will do and say anything to gain power. He downplayed his progressive voting record in Congress and leaned on his personal story and his military service to build an image as a pragmatic moderate.

Lake is a well-known former television news anchor who became a star on the populist right with her 2022 campaign for Arizona governor.

She has never acknowledged losing that race and called herself the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book. She continued her unsuccessful fight in court to overturn it even after beginning her Senate campaign.

Her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that consecutive elections were stolen from Trump and from her endeared her to the former president, who considered her for his vice presidential running mate. But it compounded her struggles with the moderate Republicans she alienated during her 2022 campaign, when she disparaged the late Sen. John McCain and then-Gov. Doug Ducey.

She tried to moderate but struggled to keep a consistent message on thorny topics, including election fraud and abortion.

Lake focused instead on border security, a potent issue for Republicans in a border state that saw record border crossings during Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration. She promised a tough crackdown on illegal immigration and labeled Gallego a supporter of “open borders.” She also went after his personal life, pointing to his divorce from Kate Gallego shortly before she gave birth. His ex-wife, now the mayor of Phoenix, endorsed Gallego and has campaigned with him.

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Arizona

Central Arizona is home to the ‘World’s Oldest Rodeo.’ Here’s what to see and do there

Published

10 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

Central Arizona is home to the ‘World’s Oldest Rodeo.’ Here’s what to see and do there

PRESCOTT, AZ (AZFamily) — Beautiful Prescott, Arizona, is home to the “World’s Oldest Rodeo,” and on this Field Trip Friday, we’re getting a look at what to expect when it opens next week!

Scott Pasmore and Gibby Parra went to check out the Prescott Frontier Days event that attracts thousands every year. There’s a wild horse race, barrel racing and bull riding — and that’s just the beginning of what you can see!

Rodeo Royalty

No rodeo is complete without Rodeo Royalty, or experienced horsewomen who help keep the sport alive. Scott and Gibby introduce you to the rodeo queens of the “World’s Oldest Rodeo.”

Anna Butler was named the 2026 Prescott Frontier Days rodeo queen, Ava Brooks was named the 2027 rodeo queen, and Ellie Weeks was named the 2027 junior queen.

Granite Mountain Distillery

Granite Mountain Distillery opened in 2025 and welcomes customers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The distillery has a limited edition whiskey bottle made specially for the “World’s Oldest Rodeo.”

Master Distiller Chris Currie said the quality barrels that the distillery uses allow for the whiskey to be of such high quality.

There were only 1,888 rodeo edition bottles made. Each bottle has its own unique number to authenticity.

Red White and Brew

No one is more excited about the rodeo returning to town than all the local businesses in Prescott.

Summer is one of their busiest times of the year. It’s when many Arizona families head north from the Valley to escape the heat or to attend one of the many summer events in the historic town.

Scott and Gibby stopped by Red White and Brew to see what they’re cooking up this time of year.

“Frontier Days in Prescott is huge,” said Jennifer Collinge, general manager at Red White and Brew in Prescott. “It draws people in from all over the state, all over the country, come and visit us. We have a giant Fourth of July parade that is, I think, one of the biggest in the state. It’s just a week-long of festivities and fun; you don’t have to be involved in rodeo to enjoy it.”

If you want to go the extra mile, 20% of all sales made at Red White and Brew on Tuesday, June 30, will be donated to the Eric Marsh Foundation for Wildland Firefighters.

Whiskey River Tavern

Scott and Gibby spoke with former Prescott Mayor Greg Mengarelli about the exciting times ahead for the city.

“It’s going to be a great celebration,” Mengarelli said. “We’re already very patriotic at the rodeo, but America 250 is just up another level. It’s going to be an awesome celebration, and I hope everybody comes up to see us at the rodeo and the parade.”

He said Frontier Days is sold out, as has been the case over the past several years, and 17 foreign countries will be represented.

Check out our previous Field Trip Friday segments here.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

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Arizona

Arizona Lottery Pick 3 Evening, Fantasy 5 results for June 25, 2026

Published

20 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

Arizona Lottery Pick 3 Evening, Fantasy 5 results for June 25, 2026

The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Thursday, June 25, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 Evening numbers

Evening: 1-4-2

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers

15-22-28-29-36

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Triple Twist numbers

06-08-38-39-40-42

Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results

What time is the Powerball drawing?

Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?

In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.

How to play the Powerball

To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.

You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.

To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:

5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
5 white balls = $1 million.
4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
4 white balls = $100.
3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
3 white balls = $7.
2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
1 red Powerball = $4.

There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:

Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Arizona

Wired Up: 400 Marines in southern Arizona ‘reinforcing’ border wall

Published

1 day ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Wired Up: 400 Marines in southern Arizona ‘reinforcing’ border wall

NOGALES, Ariz. (KGUN) — Approximately 400 Marines are working along the southern border in the Tucson sector, adding brackets and two types of wire to the border wall as part of an infrastructure improvement and barrier reinforcement mission.

Company Commander Kyle Harrison showed me the work underway in southern Arizona, where groups are operating in states bordering Mexico.

“Our purpose down here, ma’am, is primarily going to be infrastructure improvement and barrier reinforcement. So, general engineering is what we’re doing,” Harrison said.

The reinforcement work includes welding brackets onto the barrier and laying barbed wire along the wall.

“Marines, the furthest on the right, on that lift on the right, they’re actually welding the brackets onto the baller. It’s onto the barrier to the left. The next lift is going to be a group of Marines that are laying out the barbed wire,” Harrison said.

In two and a half months, the unit has put up wire across 25 miles of the wall in the Tucson sector, including in Douglas and Nogales.

“The purpose of laying the wire is just to reinforce the preexisting barrier, preexisting infrastructure,” Harrison said.

For most of the service members, this is their first time doing this kind of work. Harrison said the majority have been learning on the job.

“So vast majority of these marines have been receiving training on the job. Once they got here on site, they’ve been picking up the training and experience here,” Harrison said.

Part of that training includes obtaining the proper licenses to operate aerial lifts, which are civilian contracted equipment.

“So seeing as how it’s civilian contracted equipment, they did have to receive instruction and licensing and certification in order to run and operate them,” Harrison said.

With temperatures on the rise, units are also taking precautions to stay cool, including having medical personnel available on site.

“Hydration obviously on the front side, ma’am. Before anybody leaves the border patrol station on their way to the barrier, make sure that we have plenty of water, plenty of food, and then plenty of ice to keep everyone cool,” Harrison said.

Harrison said the unit will continue working along the border until every mile of the Tucson sector is complete.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.

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