PHOENIX (AP) — Building authentic connections with working-class voters can help Democrats find their way back to power in Washington, incoming Democratic Sen.-elect Ruben Gallego of Arizona said Friday.
Taking stock of election results that showed him doing significantly better than other Arizona Democrats, Gallego said he put a lot of work into telling his compelling life story and connecting with voters. As a result, Gallego said, even as voters grew skeptical of the Democrats, they believed him when he said he would look out for regular people.
“People got to know who I was and what my values were, and so that they got to know me as Ruben the Marine veteran, Ruben the dad, Ruben the working-class kid who has lived the American dream and wants you to live the American dream,” Gallego told The Associated Press. “And I think when things started going bad we were able to resist the tide because people knew me and they had a perspective of me, they knew I was fighting for them.”
Gallego defeated Republican Kari Lake by 2.4 percentage points, even as fellow Democrat Kamala Harris lost to President-elect Donald Trump by 5.5 points in Arizona. That’s a nearly 8-point swing for the Democrats from the top of the ticket to the Senate race.
Gallego overcame a hardscrabble childhood to become Arizona's first Latino senator. He was largely raised by a single mother after his father left the family and was imprisoned for dealing drugs, leaving Gallego to work multiple jobs to help with bills while in high school. He was accepted to Harvard University, joined the Marines and fought in Iraq with a unit that sustained heavy casualties.
That story featured prominently in Gallego's campaign speeches and advertising.
Democrats don't need to have such a harrowing life story to succeed in tough races, he said, but they do need to relate to the voters they're asking to trust them.
“What’s most important is for you as a candidate to be able to connect with everyday voters and make sure they understand in you and see in you that you are gonna fight for them,” Gallego said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be the same story as me, but somehow you need to be able to connect and to be able to do it an authentic way.”
Voters need to believe that Democrats are for the working class over elites and small businesses over large corporations, he added.
“We need to be able to go back to our economic roots where we are literally known and understood as being for working families,” Gallego said.
AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 4,000 voters in Arizona, shows Gallego won Hispanic men against Lake, even though Harris and Trump split them in Arizona.
Young men of all races and ethnicities broke for Trump in the presidential race but were evenly divided between Lake and Gallego in the Senate contest, according to AP VoteCast.
Overall, about 1 in 10 Trump voters split their ticket to vote for Gallego, while very few Harris voters also chose Lake. Among members of the two major parties, only about 8 in 10 Arizona Republicans voted for the combination of Trump and Lake, whereas about 9 in 10 Arizona Democrats voted for Harris and Gallego.
Gallego is wrapping up his term in the House and will take his Senate seat in January, replacing Kyrsten Sinema, who was elected as a Democrat and later became an independent.
Despite being fiercely critical of Sinema's steadfast opposition to ending the Senate's filibuster rule, Gallego said Friday he would not vote to eliminate it if Republicans try to do so.
“It’s not my job to make their job easier,” Gallego said.
Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., center, welcomes incoming Democrat senators in his office Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Washington, from right, Sen.-elect Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich, Sen.-elect Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Sen.-elect Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif, Schumer, Sen.-elect Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Sen.-elect Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Sen.-elect Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J. AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., waves to the crowd as he leaves the stage his wife Sydney Gallego after speaking during a watch party on election night Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
DUBLIN (AP) — Ireland survived a thrilling comeback from Argentina to hold on for a relieving 22-19 win in a gritty autumn rugby test on Friday.
Ireland led by a deserved 22-9 after a frantic first half but the Pumas underlined their reputation as a second half team by closing to within three with a half-hour to go.
While Ireland conceded another swag of penalties for a second straight test, it was the Pumas' own indiscipline which cost them an historic first win in Dublin.
Prop Francisco Gomez Kodela was yellow-carded with five minutes to go, and his body was missed as the Pumas pushed the Irish back to five meters from their try-line until a knock-on in a ruck in front of the posts ended the game two minutes into injury time.
Ireland won but it wasn't the convincing statement it wanted to make after the Six Nations champion was stunned by New Zealand last week, losing its four-year winning streak at home and the No. 1 ranking.
“Glad we got the win,” Ireland coach Andy Farrell told broadcaster TNT Sport. “Last week we could have won ugly but we didn't. This week we did.”
Irish indiscipline was a major issue again — 13 penalties conceded in consecutive tests — and offset by brilliant defense to limit the Pumas to one try and keep them out at the gripping end of both halves.
Irish celebrations were muted while the Pumas despaired. They hadn't finished this close in Dublin in 20 years.
The team which has beaten South Africa, New Zealand, France and Australia since July suffered in a madcap start.
Under pressure from a chargedown and missed touchfinder in the first minute, Argentina scored in the third through center Matias Moroni. But the try was disallowed because of Moroni's head-on-head tackle of flyhalf Jack Crowley.
While Moroni was in the sin-bin, Crowley punched the ball in for his first test try.
Irish center Garry Ringrose then recovered a dropped pass and broke into space, and Tadhg Beirne gave wing Mack Hansen a try in the sixth minute for 12-0.
Beirne then had a try scratched off when he lost control over the line in a three-man tackle.
Around the time Irish prop Finlay Bealham was yellow-carded for a crocodile roll, Tomas Albornoz was kicking the Pumas back in touch.
Crowley's 40-meter drop goal put Argentina at arm's length and lock Joe McCarthy's converted try put Ireland up 22-9 eight minutes from the break.
But what an eight minutes. Argentina snubbed penalty kicks for lineouts and a tapped penalty in search of the try to stay in the game. But the Pumas were held up over the line, a crosskick bounced unkindly, and at the third attempt, ruck ball was stolen in front of the posts.
Ireland went to the changing rooms bolstered, but within five minutes the Pumas claimed their try, a cracking solo effort by fullback Juan Cruz Mallia past three defenders from nearly 40 meters out.
Albornoz converted then added a fourth penalty when referee Paul Williams' patience with Ireland ran out. McCarthy, blatantly offside, was yellow-carded for Ireland's ninth penalty in 50 minutes.
Ireland has conceded yellow cards in eight of its nine tests this year.
“It's something we need to keep addressing,” Farrell said. “They are trying to do the right thing for the team and they are trying to make a difference. Sometimes that spills over the edge. We need to show a little bit more patience and trust what's going on.”
As Ireland struggled to deliver a killer blow, the packed crowd applauded the departure of Crowley for a try, two conversions, a drop goal and a better showing than against the All Blacks. They also rose again for the arrival of prop Cian Healy, whose 133rd test equalled the Irish record of Brian O'Driscoll.
Healy debuted in 2009. Gomez Kodela debuted in 2008. The 40-year-old Pumas prop was sin-binned for a reckless clearout of Irish captain Caelan Doris and his heft was sorely missed by his never-say-die team.
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
Argentina's Guido Petti, top, jumps for the ball during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Ireland and Argentina, at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Ireland's Tadhg Beirne is tackled by Argentina's Lucio Cinti during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Ireland and Argentina, at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Brian Lawless//PA via AP)
Argentina's Juan Cruz Mallia races through to score his side's first try of the game during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Ireland and Argentina, at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Brian Lawless//PA via AP)
Argentina's players dejected at the end of the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Ireland and Argentina, at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Ireland's Jack Crowley, right, scores a try as Argentina's Lucio Cinti tries to defend during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Ireland and Argentina, at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Ireland's Mack Hansen, right, scires a try during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Ireland and Argentina, at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Ireland's Tadhg Beirne, right, is tackled by Argentina's Lucio Cinti during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Ireland and Argentina, at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Argentina's Joaquin Oviedo, centre, is tackled by Ireland's Finlay Bealham, left, during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Ireland and Argentina, at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
