Arizona state Sen. Terán announces bid for Gallego’s House seat

Arizona state Sen. Raquel Terán (D) on Wednesday is officially launching her campaign to replace outgoing Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is running for Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (I) seat.

Terán stepped down as the Arizona state Senate’s minority leader in March after just two months on the job in preparation for her House run.

The Arizona native’s bid marks her first run for federal office, after nearly two years in the state Senate and almost three in the state House and a concurrent stint as chair of the Arizona Democratic Party.

Born in Douglas on the U.S.-Mexico border and raised binationally, Terán got her start in politics opposing Arizona immigration hawks including former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former state Sen. Russell Pearce (R), the primary sponsor of SB 1070, a controversial immigration crackdown.

“Here in Arizona when we started to see the Russell Pearces of the world, Sheriff Arpaios of the world, I decided to take the values my grandparents and parents taught me and put those into action,” Terán told the Hill. “So I was in the forefront of challenging and taking out Joe Arpaio, challenging and taking out Russell Pearce, who was the author of SB 1070.”

Terán’s community organizing efforts against the likes of Arpaio and Pearce were met with hostility across the aisle.

In her successful 2018 state House bid and when she unsuccessfully vied for the seat in 2012, Terán faced “birther” lawsuits from an Arizona Republican who challenged her U.S. citizenship.

Terán, who was born in the United States, successfully countered those suits.

“Over the last two decades, nothing has ever been handed to me either personally or professionally, and we’ve always heard a no se puede attitude,” Terán.

But Terán pointed out that Arizona Democrats have gone in her political lifetime from a suppressed minority party to one that controls the governorship and the state’s two Senate seats.

“I’ve always said, ‘si se puede,'” she said. “I’ve been known, and my trajectory is of a proven coalition builder and it will be the focus of our campaign to make sure that we win in 2024.”

Terán’s early jump into the race mirrors Gallego’s Senate strategy, where he started campaigning and fundraising early, shortly after Sinema announced she was leaving the Democratic Party.

While Gallego’s strategy has so far kept any credible contenders out of the Democratic Senate primary, Terán’s early pitch could give her a boost but is unlikely to scare off all potential Democratic opponents for the safe blue seat.

Phoenix Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari officially launched her bid for the seat on Tuesday.

Of the three Democrats who won House seats in Arizona in 2022, Gallego won by the largest margin, receiving 77 percent of the votes in his district.

“It’s an open congressional seat, and we know that there will probably be a heavy primary. But yes, [we’re] starting early and sharing that we’re having conversations with members of the district, residents of the district, voters of the district,” she said.

Terán, who said she’s worked together with Gallego in Arizona’s transformation from ruby red to a competitive state, said “she would love to have” his endorsement and offered her support for his Senate bid.

“Absolutely no question that Congressman Gallego is a progressive Democrat who we need in the U.S. Senate. We need to make sure that we protect that U.S. Senate seat, and he is the candidate to do that,” Terán said.

Gallego, who still faces a long road to the Senate, said he would stay out of the race for his current seat for now.

“Right now, my focus is on my Senate race and on making sure the people of Arizona have a voice in Congress. I won’t be endorsing anyone at this moment but I look forward to supporting the Democratic nominee that the voters elect in the primary,” he told The Hill.

Though Terán started her way in politics focused on immigration reform, she said the Phoenix district’s constituents have expressed concerns on other issues.

“What people are thinking about is we need an economy that doesn’t leave people behind,” said Terán, pointing to rising home rental prices in the Phoenix area as a top concern.

Other national issues are likely to pop up in Arizona races, including Terán’s primary.

“Health care that doesn’t bankrupt people, everybody needs to have access to health care, and that includes legal and safe abortion — that comes up — and of course, addressing our climate crisis,” said Terán.

Climate is a top issue in Arizona specifically, where air quality and water resources affect people’s everyday lives.

Terán lauded Democratic gains in the state as starting points to address those issues, in particular praising Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) for presenting “more solutions that that will cater to the need of sustainability versus to the lobbyists.”

“As the governor came in, she uncovered a report that said for the West Valley, where our communities are being displaced too, there’s no assurance that there’s going to be water for the next 100 years. And so the actions are urgent and everything has to be on the table,” said Terán.