Twitter is celebrating Rep. Ruben Gallego’s campaign against “out-of-touch” Sen. Kyrsten Sinema

Twitter commenters seem largely to support Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) after he announced his intention to run for the Arizona Senate seat currently held by the Democrat-turned-Independent, bisexual Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Other commenters questioned how Senate Democrats will handle Sinema leading up to the 2024 election.

In his first campaign ad, posted on Monday, Gallego spoke about growing up in poverty and helping his single mother raise his three younger sisters. He said the American Dream inspired him to attend Harvard and serve in the military in Iraq.

“The rich and the powerful, they don’t need more advocates. It’s the people that are still trying to decide between groceries and utilities that need a fighter for them,” he said in his ad. “There is no lobbyist for working families. If you’re more likely to be meeting with the powerful than the powerless, you’re doing this job incorrectly.”

Get the Daily Brief The news you care about, reported on by the people who care about you.

While Sinema hasn’t officially announced her re-election bid, Gallego’s ad seems directed at Sinema, who has been criticized for allying with wealthy business interests.

AdBridg.cmd.push(function() { AdBridg.display("div-gpt-ad-inarticle2"); });

Growing up poor, all I had was the American dream. It kept me going: as a kid sleeping on the floor, a student scrubbing toilets, a Marine losing brothers in Iraq.

Today, too many Arizonans see their dream slipping away. I’m running for the U.S. Senate to win it back for you! pic.twitter.com/ofUvUYRcTP

— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) January 23, 2023

In tweets announcing his campaign, Gallego wrote, “Senator Sinema is calling herself an ‘independent’ now. Well she’s not independent from Wall St, Big Pharma, or their pricey lobbyists. Arizonans know better. Help us prove it.”

In another tweet, he wrote, “Kyrsten Sinema hasn’t held a town hall in Arizona for years. Instead, she flies to Switzerland for a town hall with the rich and powerful. Not a Joke!”

Senator Sinema is calling herself an “independent” now. Well she’s not independent from Wall St, Big Pharma, or their pricey lobbyists.

Arizonans know better. Help us prove it. https://t.co/XPh66cKjJ3

— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) January 23, 2023

In response to Gallego’s announcement, lesbian and trans activist Charlotte Clymer wrote, “It took Ruben Gallego less than three and a half minutes to make Kyrsten Sinema look unreasonable, unserious, and out-of-touch, and all he did was tell his own story.”

It took Ruben Gallego less than three and a half minutes to make Kyrsten Sinema look unreasonable, unserious, and out-of-touch, and all he did was tell his own story.

— Charlotte Clymer