Former President Barack Obama says the stakes couldn’t be higher than the race between Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly and Republican political newcomer Blake Masters.
Obama stumped for Kelly and other Democrats Wednesday evening in the valley.
“Like another legendary senator from Arizona, Mark has an independent streak. He knows how to work with anybody to get things done,” Obama told a crowd at Cesar Chavez High School in Laveen Village, a Democratic stronghold in southwest Phoenix. “Whether it’s putting people back to work, whether it’s fixing roads, whether it’s making sure high-tech manufacturing’s done here in Arizona instead of over in China.”
He mentioned the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, saying Republicans won’t protect women’s rights in Washington.
“Mark Kelly has been fighting to restore abortion rights in Arizona, and if you send him back to Washington, he’ll fight to make sure women always have the care that they need,” he said.
Obama spoke of GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and her 2016 interview with him near the end of his second term. He didn’t recall her resembling the candidate she is today. Obama drew parallels between the former Fox 10 anchor and former President Donald Trump.
“It turns out that being president or governor is about more than snappy lines and good lighting,” he said.
Preceding Obama on stage were Democrat candidates Katie Hobbs, Kelly, and his wife, gun control advocate and former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords.
Kelly’s is a high-priority seat in the Democratic party’s quest to fend off a GOP offensive to take back the upper chamber of Congress. Republicans are hoping to ride discontent with President Joe Biden into the majority.
A compilation of approval rating scores from FiveThirtyEight.com showed Biden with at least 50% disapproval rates in surveys taken between Oct. 28 and Wednesday.
Masters had trailed Kelly in early polling, but more recent surveys of Arizona voters have shown a tighter race between the two.
OH Predictive Insights released an Oct. 31 poll showing Kelly up by only two points over Masters (48% to 46%). The poll spoke to 600 likely Arizona voters between Oct. 24 and 26. It has a 4% margin of error.
Since that polling had taken place, Libertarian Senate candidate Marc Victor had announced he was withdrawing from the race and endorsed Masters. While Victor did implore supporters to vote for Masters, many mail-in voters had already returned ballots containing the Libertarian as a choice.
Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
