PHOENIX (AP) - Congressman Ruben Gallego says he won't run for the U.S. Senate, likely avoiding a contentious fight for the Democratic nomination to finish John McCain's last term.
Gallego told The Arizona Republic Monday that it's not in the best interests of the state or the Democratic Party for him to engage in a bitter primary fight with retired astronaut Mark Kelly.
Gallego is well-connected to the liberal base of the Democratic Party. Kelly jumped into the race last month and has signaled he'll run a centrist campaign like the one waged in 2018 by his fellow Democrat Kyrsten Sinema.
The Arizona race is expected to be one of the top Senate contests in the country. Republican Sen. Martha McSally was appointed to the seat and is looking to keep it.
