• Slug: Senate Young Voters. 800 words.
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By Nash Darragh
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – With just a week to go until Election Day, all eyes remain on the swing state of Arizona. The state’s 11 electoral votes have been increasingly sought after by both Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris over the past few months.

But Republican Kari Lake and Democrat Ruben Gallego are also aiming to secure the final undecided votes from a generation that is voting for the first time.

“What a historic election to be voting, truly the most important election in our lifetime, but maybe the most important election in our country’s history,” Lake said in an interview, “and this is the first time this generation gets to vote. It’s really monumental.”

Both Lake and Gallego have been tirelessly pursuing the last of crucial Generation Z votes as now both the Senate and presidential races are up in the air in Arizona, according to polling.

HighGround Public Affairs’ polling also shows that the age group of under-29 likely voters has the largest gap of all age groups for both the Arizona Senate and presidential elections. As of Oct. 20, 77.1% in that age group supported Gallego, with 18.8% supporting Lake.

In an effort to close the gap, Lake has been on Arizona State University’s campus numerous times campaigning through events geared toward students, Greek life and other college organizations. Lake has also worked with Charlie Kirk and Turning Point Action in helping register college students in Arizona to vote in the election.

“One of the things I’m so inspired by Gen Z, your generation, is that you all don’t wait. You don’t ask for permission. You don’t wait for someone to give you power,” U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Illinois) said at a Harris-Walz event on ASU’s campus. “You know your power. You all have taken the opportunity to go ahead and vote early and make your voices heard.”

In true political fashion, Gallego and Lake have differences in some of the focal points of what issues they believe affect this generation.

“The only entity that can create inflation is the U.S. government printing money,” Lake said. “Under the (Joe) Biden and Kamala Harris, and frankly, my opponent, Ruben Gallego administration, they have been printing money nonstop, which is causing the price of everything to go up because it devalues the dollar.”

Economists say that the increase of money supply is a factor in inflation but is not the sole cause.

In interviews, Lake used the economy as a putdown of the Democrats whereas Gallego talked about climate change and the Republicans’ lack of effort to limit negative effects to the climate.

“You know, we’re the only ones that actually have a real plan that A) recognizes the danger of climate change, but B) actually is trying to do something about it, versus the Republicans who aren’t doing anything,” Gallego said in an interview.

Both think abortion policy will have a significant effect on this generation.

Gallego said Gen Z worries they “wouldn’t be able to control their bodies, or someone in their life being able to control their bodies, as well as being able to have a chance to graduate college, get a good paying job and buy a house or be able to afford rent. Those are those three things that I think are really driving the conversation on college campuses.”

Lake also emphasized abortion as a key issue.

“The people of Arizona will decide our abortion law. Will it be what we have on the books, which is a bipartisan abortion law, with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother, which I support? Or will it be this voter initiative? The people of Arizona get to decide this,” Lake said. “Ruben Gallego wants to take that choice away from us.”

Lake also said life after college, economy and housing availability are important to Gen Z with problems that have stemmed from illegal immigration.

“We’re watching as the Democrat Party is putting the needs of people pouring into our country illegally ahead of our own citizens and your generation who’s done everything right, worked hard, is going to get out of college and not have jobs, not be able to afford apartments, let alone ever afford a house,” Lake said. “That’s not the American dream.”

The next seven days will be eventful as we enter what Tony West, the former associate attorney general of the United States, said is the most important election since Abraham Lincoln was elected president. West is also Harris’ brother-in-law.

“You know, this is the most important election of our lifetimes. I know we say this every four years, right? But this is the most important election,” West told ASU students at a Harris campaign event in Tempe last week. “Historians tell us that this is the most important election since 1860.”

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