A Daily Caller report found that Democratic Arizona Rep. Ruben Galego accepted thousands of dollars from individuals and political actions committees (PACs), which are associated with major pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, despite criticizing them both frequently.
Gallego, who’s running for Senate against Independent Kyrsten Snema, regularly blasts the former Democrat over her perceived closeness to the pharmaceutical industry and opposition to single payer healthcare. Gallego has received more than $30,000.00 from pharmaceutical company PACs, since his first bid for Congress. The health sector is the fourth largest source of funding for his re-election campaign in 2022.
Gallego accepted $31,500 in donations from political action groups associated with pharmaceutical companies since his first run for the House of Representatives in 2014. He received money from Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and other firms accused by congressional Democrats of price gouging. Gallego also criticized Sinema’s initial opposition to a price-fixing plan that Democrats had fought for inclusion in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“Kyrsten sinema blocked important provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act for negotiating the price of prescription drugs.” Gallego said in April that Sinema was unfit to be the governor of Arizona because she supported Big Pharma and seniors living on fixed incomes.
“Senator Sinema calls herself independent now.” He claimed that she was not independent of Wall St., Big Pharma or their expensive lobbyists.
The Gallego campaign declined to comment when the Daily Caller asked if he would be returning any donations received from pharmaceutical companies and employees. According to OpenSecrets, he also received more than $85,000 in donations from people working in the health care sector during the election cycle of 2022.
Gallego, who is running for Senate as a leftist populist alternative to Sinema (a centrist), has accepted money from industries he frequently criticizes. In the first quarter 2023, he received more than $106,000 in donations from employees at major banks and corporations. During Q1 2023, Gallego received more money than any other profession from lawyers.
Gallego has raised $3.7 million overall in Q1 2023 and more than $2.7 millions on hand. Sinema has raised $2.1 in Q1 2023 and more than $9.9 millions on hand.
Public Policy Polling conducted a series in April of polls that showed Gallego to be leading the race against Sinema and other potential Republican candidates. Gallego, Lake and Sinema would all receive 42% of the vote in a matchup against former Republican gubernatorial candidates Kari Lake and Jim Lamon, respectively. Gallego’s support would be 43% against Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and businessman Jim Lamon. Sinema’s would be 15% or 16%.
