Gallego joins Harris in bringing 2024 closing argument to Arizona

Vice President Harris brought her message to the west Thursday and was joined by Senate hopeful Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) in hitting the key battleground of Arizona.

“It is time for a new generation of leadership in America, and I am ready to offer that leadership as the next president of the United States,” she said during a stop in Phoenix.

“By the way, happy Halloween,” Harris said to the crowd, adding that Friday is the last day for early voting by mail in Arizona.

The vice president was interrupted by a shouting pro-Palestinian protester, which has happened at her rallies throughout this week, and she spread a message of free speech in response.

“Democracy can be complicated but we believe in democracy and the right of everyone to have their voices heard, it’s alright,” Harris said.

Harris was introduced by Gallego, who is in a tight race for the state's Senate seat against Republican Kari Lake, a former President Trump ally.

“I’ve known Ruben a long time, and of course Arizona knows him so well. He is a veteran of the Marine Corps, a proven leader, a champion for all of Arizona and please send him to the United States Senate,” Harris said.

“Five days Arizona, it's time to get the job done,” Gallego said in his remarks. “If we fight together we can, number one, beat Kari Lake. Number two, defeat Donald Trump. Number three, fight for a better future.”

Gallego is ahead of Lake by more than 6 percentage points in the Arizona Senate race, according to Decision Desk HQ/ The Hill’s aggregation of polls.

The race for the White House in the state is much closer. Trump is polling at 49 percent and Harris is polling at 47.1 percent in Arizona, according to Decision Desk HQ/ The Hill.

When she landed in the city, Harris was greeted by former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, a Republican who has endorsed Harris and served as ambassador to Turkey during the Biden administration. The vice president is leaning into her GOP endorsements to grow her coalition in the final days before Election Day.

She then traveled to Nevada for visits to Reno and Las Vegas, where the band Maná will perform and Jennifer Lopez will introduce Harris as part of her outreach to Latino voters.

Trump is also out west Friday, traveling to New Mexico and Henderson, Nev., and then to Arizona.

Trump has a razor-thin lead in Nevada, too. He is polling at 48.1 percent, compared to Harris’s 47.4 percent, according to the aggregate polling.