Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) is set to headline a fundraising event aimed toward ousting Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) from office, even as the first-term senator has not yet announced whether she plans to run for reelection.
The event will formally resume efforts by the Replace Sinema PAC to boost the group’s chosen candidate to win the Senate seat in 2024: Rep. Ruben Gallego. Goldman is one of four members of Congress to endorse Gallego in the race, along with former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Seth Moulton (D-MA).
The fundraiser comes after Gallego managed to outraise Sinema for his second consecutive quarter, raking in $3.1 million during the second quarter alone — besting Sinema’s $1.7 million. Still, Sinema benefits from a hefty war chest of $10.8 million, nearly triple of Gallego’s cash on hand.
Gallego launched his Senate bid in January, just one month after Sinema announced she would be leaving the Democratic Party. Since then, the fifth-term lawmaker has shown considerable momentum as he has dominated both polling and fundraising.
Sinema has not yet indicated whether she plans to run for reelection. However, her candidacy would pose a high-profile three-way race for the crucial swing seat that is likely to become one of the most expensive races of the 2024 cycle.
So far, only one Republican candidate has entered the race: Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who reported a fundraising haul of $608,000 last quarter. All eyes are also on failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, who lost to Katie Hobbs in 2022, to see if she launches a bid as well.
The Arizona Senate race is expected to be one of the most competitive elections of the 2024 cycle. It’s one of only three to be rated as a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.