One of the digital ads includes a photo of Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego next to text that reads: “It’s time Arizonans are represented by a Latino in the U.S. Senate.” | Matt York/AP Photo 2020 ELECTIONS Progressive groups launch ads, website to draft Gallego for Arizona Senate

Latino Victory Fund and Democracy for America are rolling out digital ads and a website Wednesday in their latest effort to convince Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego to run for the late Republican Sen. John McCain’s Arizona Senate seat in 2020.

Latino Victory, a PAC that supports Latino candidates, first launched its effort to draft Gallego in September of last year. But the group’s latest move, in partnership with DFA, comes one day after former Astronaut and Navy veteran Mark Kelly announced he will run for the Senate seat as a Democrat.


“Whether at home in Arizona or serving in the Marines in Iraq, Ruben Gallego is a battle-tested patriot who has always put the interests and needs of his constituents first,” said Latino Victory Fund President Cristóbal J. Alex and Democracy for America CEO Yvette Simpson, in a statement first provided to POLITICO. “Arizonans deserve a leader who reflects the state’s rich diversity — someone who understands what it’s like to grow up poor, to work hard to achieve his potential and to selflessly devote his life to his country and community.”

One of the digital ads includes a photo of Gallego next to text that reads: “It’s time Arizonans are represented by a Latino in the U.S. Senate.” The ads will target voters in Arizona on Facebook and Twitter and will run for several weeks.

The latest turn in Latino Victory’s campaign to draft Gallego also included a notable endorsement from fellow Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona.

“We need change in Arizona and our nation, and Ruben represents that change,” Grijalva said in a statement. “From fighting to reduce student loan debt for veterans, to pushing for an end to gun violence and working to pass comprehensive immigration reform, Ruben Gallego is committed to the fight, and that’s why I want Ruben to run for the United States Senate.”

Shortly after Kelly announced his candidacy in a 4½-minute announcement video , which featured his wife, former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Gallego tweeted that he was still “looking seriously” at a Senate run.

Giffords and Kelly became staunch gun control advocates after a 2011 assassination attempt on Giffords left her seriously wounded, causing her to resign from Congress.

If Gallego enters the race he’d have to beat Kelly in the Democratic primary and he’d then likely face Sen. Martha McSally, the Arizona Republican appointed to replace McCain. However, freshman Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton, the former mayor of Phoenix, is also weighing a run for the seat.

Arizona is home to the fourth largest population of eligible Latino voters in the country, which gives a “millennial Latino” like Gallego an edge, according to Latino Victory.

Arizona is a top 2020 battleground state, and critical for Democrats to win if they want to flip control of the Senate. Whoever wins the 2020 special election will serve the remainder of McCain’s term until 2022 and will then have to run again to keep the seat.

