Veterans Endorse USMC Veteran and Congressman Ruben Gallego for US Senate in Arizona
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2024
MEDIA CONTACT
Jacob Thomas, Communications Director
Veterans Endorse USMC Veteran and Congressman Ruben Gallego for US Senate in Arizona
ARIZONA – Common Defense, the nation’s largest grassroots veterans organization, is proud to endorse Rep. Ruben Gallego for U.S. Senate representing Arizona. Ruben is a veteran of the Marine Corps and is the only candidate in this race running to address the critical problems facing Arizonans while his opponent is doing everything she can to undermine our democratic institutions, cast doubt on the electoral process, and cozy up to MAGA extremists like Donald Trump. Throughout his years in the House of Representatives, Congressman Gallego has fought side by side with the veterans of Common Defense to pass much needed bills that have helped Arizonans as well as countless veterans across the country. From the Honor Our PACT Act to the largest infrastructure bill in modern history, the Inflation Reduction Act, Gallego led the charge.
As Arizona and the nation face some of the most challenging issues of our time, we need a battle-tested champion to lead the fight to protect access to clean drinking water and develop solutions to sustain us through dire droughts; defend reproductive access and establish federal protections that enshrine Roe v Wade into law so an activist court cannot come between a patient and their doctor; and bolster our democracy so wannabe dictators can’t misuse the levers of power to wrest control from the people. Gallego is that leader.
“I’ve been working with veterans in Arizona for decades now and to have someone like Ruben, a fellow Marine and committed, selfless public servant, shows me that Arizona will be in good hands. One thing I know about Ruben: a Marine, never leaves anyone behind and will exemplify the core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment. Semper Fi, my friend! Let’s get this done.” — Jojo Sweatt, Common Defense’s Organizing Director, Phoenix resident, and Marine Corps veteran
“We cannot let another self-serving politician like Kari Lake get into office. Arizonans rejected her divisive and extremist politics when she ran for Governor and she had the audacity to pretend and lie that the election was stolen. Those lies and rhetoric is exactly what led to the attack on our Capitol on January 6th, 2021. Ruben is the clear choice to help Arizonans—and our country—move into a brighter future.” — Sylvia Andersh-Gonzalez, USAF veteran and Tucson resident
“I am honored to have Common Defense’s support in this race. As a proud Marine Corps combat veteran, I will continue my fight to make life better for Arizona’s 500,000+ veterans in the Senate. When I came home from Iraq and saw how little support my combat brothers and sisters were receiving, I decided then and there that I would dedicate my life to ensuring we take better care of our servicemembers when we return home. From passing the PACT Act and investing in access to mental health care, to ensuring our veterans have full access to the VA benefits they have earned through service and sacrifice, we have made significant progress but still have so much more to do. With Common Defense’s support, I will continue that mission of taking care of our veterans and their families in the U.S. Senate.” — Rep. Ruben Gallego
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Common Defense is a grassroots, veteran-led organization founded in 2016. We empower veterans to stand up for our communities against the rising tide of racism, hate, and violence, to organize against the entrenched power of greedy billionaires who have rigged our economy, and to champion an equitable and representative democracy where “liberty and justice” truly is for all. For too long, politicians from both political parties have attempted to use veterans as unwilling political props. Common Defense serves as a home for veterans to organize and speak for themselves and support the candidates who genuinely share our values. The candidates we endorse reflect our values as an organization, and our member-driven endorsement process ensures that the candidates have grassroots support.