In a significant development in Arizona politics, San Luis Mayor Nieves Riedel has thrown her support behind Congressman Ruben Gallego for the U.S. Senate amid escalating immigration and border security issues dominating both local and national discussions.
The endorsement from Riedel was made public on Wednesday, highlighting Gallego’s strong dedication to addressing the specific needs and challenges faced by San Luis, a border city near Yuma experiencing an uptick in migration numbers.
“Ruben Gallego has shown an unwavering dedication to our community’s welfare, recognizes the distinct challenges we encounter, and has shown a readiness to collaborate broadly to achieve results,” Riedel remarked in a statement to Truth Voices.
She further emphasized, “Gallego’s vision for an improved Arizona resonates deeply with our values in San Luis. I am honored to endorse him for the Senate, confident in his ability to effect substantial, beneficial changes not just for our locality but for the entire state.”
Elected in August 2022 for her second term, Riedel, a Democrat and Mexican immigrant, leads a city with a predominantly Latino population. Notably, Yuma County, which encompasses San Luis, voted for former President Donald Trump in the 2020 elections.
This endorsement is a continuation of support for Gallego from key figures in border communities, following a previous endorsement by Santa Cruz County Sheriff David Hathaway, a Democrat from a staunchly Democratic county in Arizona. Santa Cruz County, with Nogales as a key entry point from Mexico, has been a Democratic stronghold and strongly backed President Joe Biden in 2020 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Gallego, expressing his gratitude for the endorsement, stated, “I’m proud to have Mayor Riedel’s support. Her partnership has been invaluable in efforts to bolster Arizona’s border areas, drive local economic growth, and eliminate hurdles to owning a home.”
As Gallego gains support from officials in border areas, the topic of immigration remains a challenging issue for President Biden. In a move that underscores the urgency of this issue for his re-election campaign, the administration recently introduced an executive action aimed at curbing asylum claims, a key point of contention in U.S. immigration policy.
With a noticeable lead over his main Republican challenger, Kari Lake, in recent polls, Gallego’s campaign has been buoyed by the Cook Political Report’s updated forecast, shifting the race from a “toss-up” to “lean Democrat.” This adjustment boosts the Democratic Party’s prospects in the competitive race to fill the seat of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), who, although an independent, aligns with Democrats.
