‘Like we got Kari Lake’: Gallego, Kelly keep voting along with the GOP

In recent days, Arizona’s two Democratic senators have pumped out statement after statement lambasting President Donald Trump and his harmful policies. Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly have criticized Trump’s (short-lived) tariffs on Mexico and Canada and his attempt to ban birthright citizenship. Gallego has lampooned Trump’s inability to bring down the price of eggs.

The pair has also voted Trump’s way more than almost any other Democrats in the Senate.

On Monday, market researcher and former political pollster Adam Carlson posted a chart showing how Democratic senators have voted on 10 key issues — the Laken Riley Act and confirmation votes for nine of Trump’s cabinet nominations. Gallego is tied for the second-most yes votes, voting with Republicans 80% of the time. Kelly is close behind, voting in lockstep with the GOP 70% of the time.

Here’s how the Senate Democratic Caucus has voted on the Laken Riley Act and 9 cabinet-level confirmation votes. pic.twitter.com/LpsItTUGS0

— Adam Carlson (@admcrlsn) February 4, 2025

Aside from voting to pass the Laken Riley Act — which mandates the detention of undocumented immigrants merely accused of minor crimes, and which prompted intense backlash from Democrats in Arizona — Gallego and Kelly also voted to confirm:

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio
• CIA Director John Ratcliffe
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
• Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin
• Interior Secretary Doug Burgum

Gallego also voted to confirm Chris Wright, a former oil executive and founder of a fracking firm, in a key position to shape the country’s energy policies as Secretary of Energy. Kelly voted against Wright. Both Senators balked at confirming former Fox News Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense and former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security. Hegseth and Noem were confirmed anyway.

Notably, Bessent has given the keys to critical Treasury payment systems to the flunkies of Elon Musk, potentially exposing the private information of millions of Americans and possibly allowing Musk to unilaterally halt any payments he personally disagrees with. Duffy has repeated Trump’s offensive rationale that diversity was at fault for the mid-air crash between a helicopter and a passenger jet that killed more than 60 people.

Gallego's and Kelly's offices did not return a request for comment.

Carlson’s chart generated sharp reactions from some in Arizona who were expecting Gallego and Kelly to act like members of an opposition party. "Just leaving this here,” wrote Phoenix City Councilmember-elect Anna Hernandez while sharing Carlson’s post on social media. Arizona State University professor Alex Young also chimed in, writing, “Pretty sad, @SenRubenGallego! AZ is watching.”

Hernandez’s brother and Phoenix-area Chef Jose Hernandez also criticized Gallego, saying, “It’s almost like we got Kari Lake.”

“Thankful we elected the first Latino Senator from Arizona by way to Chicago to lick boots, not read legislation, sponsor unconstitutional and unfunded mandates while ignoring his constituents and the demonized rhetoric toward immigrants,” he wrote on X.

Since Carlson’s post, Gallego and Kelly have continued to rubber-stamp Trump’s agenda. On Tuesday, both Senators voted to confirm his U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs nominee, Doug Collins. Collins was confirmed easily, by a 77-23 margin.

The duo may notch a few more no votes soon, though. Still to come are Health Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard, whose nominations have both passed through committee. Kelly has already said he will vote against confirming Gabbard.

“Congresswoman Gabbard has made clear that she lacks the judgment and decision-making to do this job well,” Kelly said in a statement Tuesday.