Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) gathered $7.5 million for his Arizona Senate run in the first three months of 2024, setting him up well financially for what will probably be a general election fight against Republican Kari Lake.
Gallego’s overall amount is more than twice the $3.3 million he raised in the last three months of 2023. He also has $9.6 million in cash on hand with seven months to go until Election Day.
The contours of the Arizona race became more clear early last month when Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I) announced she would not seek a second term, setting up the probable Gallego versus Lake matchup.
The congressman’s ability to raise funds is likely to give him an advantage on the airwaves, unless Lake significantly increases her total as well. The former TV anchor and gubernatorial hopeful raised $2.1 million in the fourth fundraising quarter of 2023, although she could see a boost from Republicans who had stayed on the sidelines while Sinema was in the race.
Gallego’s team also indicated that 98 percent of the contributions were $200 or less, with 100,000 individuals donating to his campaign last cycle — 50 percent of which were first-time contributors to the congressman. He has raised more than $20 million overall this cycle.
“Thanks to the support of hundreds of thousands of small-dollar donors who have contributed what they could to help elect Ruben Gallego, we are building the infrastructure to win this November,” Nichole Johnson, Gallego’s campaign manager, said in a statement. “Arizonans are ready to elect a Senator who will defend abortion rights, cut costs for families, and take care of our veterans — and that’s exactly what Ruben will do.”
Gallego is one of the first Senate candidates to reveal their first-quarter fundraising totals. Full reports for the first three months of the year are due April 15. Lake has not yet disclosed her first-quarter figure.
Major outside groups could assist Lake in closing the spending gap on the race, although their funds don’t stretch as far as a candidate’s when it comes to reserving television advertising.
Gallego announced his first TV ad early last month and has been on the air trying to establish his image to a statewide audience. Lake has not begun airing television ads.
