The Arizona Police Association, a Trump-supporting police union, endorsed Democratic senate candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego over Republican Kari Lake on Monday.
“Today, the Arizona Police Association (APA), the largest police/public safety association in the state, representing thousands of active law enforcement officers, proudly announces its endorsement of Representative Ruben Gallego to represent Arizona in the United States Senate,” the APA wrote in a statement.
The group praised Gallego for supporting increased funding for police and other legislations offering mental health services for officers and families of officers who died by suicide after suffering from PTSD.
“The APA does not take our endorsements lightly; we recognize the importance of having a U.S. Senator that can bring people together to improve society for all. We believe Congressman Gallego will be that U.S. Senator,” the group said.
The announcement is significant considering that the APA endorsed Lake during her failed gubernatorial bid in 2022 and on Friday the group’s president, Justin Harris, endorsed Trump on stage at his rally in Arizona where Lake also spoke.
“As a Marine combat veteran, we know Congressman Gallego understands the complexities of modern policing in American society today, while at the same time recognizing the public’s expectations,” Harris said in the statement on Monday.
Gallego thanked the group for their endorsement and said he “looks forward to working with them in the Senate to ensure Arizona’s law enforcement officers have the resources necessary to combat fentanyl trafficking, train the next generation of officers, and, above all, keep Arizona families safe.”
The news is yet another blow to Lake who has been trailing Gallego in the polls since securing the Republican nomination.
Lake became a MAGA superstar after promoting Trump’s debunked claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election and about her own gubernatorial loss in 2022.
