Last Friday, President Trump came to town to rally his supporters for Martha McSally and other Republicans across the ticket. An exuberant crowd of thousands greeted the president as he exited Marine One with McSally and entered the hangar at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. Many more supporters traveled from all over the region and waited in line for many hours, but failed to gain admittance inside the packed venue.
It may have been the president’s tenth visit to Arizona, but the crowd’s energy proved that there’s no hint of Trump fatigue in Arizona. Governor Doug Ducey, Congressman Andy Biggs, and candidate for Secretary of State Steve Gaynor fired up the crowd before Trump took the stage with McSally.
The event’s lineup demonstrated a united Republican Party in Arizona. A passionate crowd repeatedly cheered for conservative candidates for Senate, the House, Governor, and other state offices. The rally offered a stark contrast with Arizona’s Democratic candidates.
The same week, Chuck Todd of NBC News sat down with Democrat gubernatorial nominee David Garcia and noted that “oddly enough, he has not been endorsed by the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, Congresswomen Kyrsten Sinema. Something that is unusual, if you will, in as competitive a state as this... Doesn’t this hurt you more than it helps you?”
Garcia countered that Sinema hasn’t endorsed any Democratic candidates – further proving Todd’s point about the Democrats’ division. Kyrsten Sinema split the divide even further that week. When asked if she was a proud Democrat, Sinema said, “Oh gosh, it’s hard to say proud. I don’t know that…”
With Democrats in apparent disarray, Republicans seem poised to take advantage of the disunity. Recent ballot return data from Garrett Archer of the Secretary of State’s office had registered Republicans sporting an 11 percent lead in turnout over Democrats.
Republicans are surging thanks to united get-out-the-vote efforts. Meanwhile, Democrats are running conflicting campaigns that cross-pressure their own voters. Don’t expect a “Blue Wave” to come crashing down in the desert anytime soon.
