Why Kyrsten Sinema attended Biden's Grand Canyon event, and why Ruben Gallego didn't

Many of Arizona's Democratic leaders gathered with President Joe Biden at the Grand Canyon National Park Tuesday for the dedication of a new national monument, but Rep. Ruben Gallego, who's running to fill Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's seat, was absent.

Sinema, a former Democrat who left the party last year and reregistered as an independent, was there, along with Gov. Katie Hobbs, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., and tribal leaders from across the state.

"I wanted to meet (Biden) at the Grand Canyon when he's making that great announcement, but it's also my son's first day in first grade," Gallego, D-Ariz., told reporters Sunday.

He's been open about his family life in the past, sharing photos and information about his two children and taking paternity leave earlier this year from the House of Representatives.

Despite not attending the dedication, Gallego met with Biden on the tarmac when he arrived in Arizona on Monday to discuss mitigating the heat crisis through legislation. Earlier this Summer, Gallego introduced a bill that would add heat emergencies to the list of natural disasters that warrant federal aid.

"I was grateful to speak with the President about the need for FEMA to declare extreme heat a disaster," he said Tuesday in a written statement. "Arizona communities shouldn't have to deal with our increasingly dangerous summers on their own — and I'll keep pushing to ensure they don't have to."

Some speculate that Gallego may appreciate some distance from Biden given the state of the president's polling in the battleground state. The Arizona Republic reported Tuesday that, earlier this year, Biden was underwater in Arizona by 17 percentage points. That means that the number of respondents who rated him favorably is 17 points lower than the number who rated him unfavorably. It's a common political strategy for opponents to try to tether Senate candidates to an unpopular president of the same party.

Biden narrowly carried Arizona over former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, becoming only the third Democratic presidential nominee to do so since 1948.

John J. "Jack" Pitney Jr., a professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College in Southern California, said Biden's approval ratings reasonably might have been a consideration for Gallego.

"If you're running a tough campaign against an incumbent, embracing a not very popular president isn't the smartest tactic," Pitney said.

While Sinema hasn't officially said she is seeking reelection in 2024, and, as an independent candidate, wouldn't have to until after August 2024, Pitney said it would make sense for her to associate with Biden.

"She has to develop a base somewhere," Pitney said. "Even though Biden isn't particularly popular, he's more popular than she is."

Some Arizona voters, such as Dale Felder, were adamant at a Gallego campaign event Sunday that they don't trust Sinema after she left the Democratic Party to become an independent.

"(Sinema switching) was very disappointing for us, needless to say, we are not going to be independent voting," Felder said.

Others said Gallego's absence probably doesn't have anything to do with Biden.

Doug Cole, a longtime Arizona political consultant, said Gallego likely just wanted to support his son as he's done publicly in the past.

"Today was an event for creating a monument that is significant for Native American nations and tribes, not creating a political spectacle of having two folks who could potentially be running against each other," Cole said.

All of the "appropriate people" were present at the event, Cole added.

Earlier this year, Sinema and Grijalva introduced the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument Act, which directs the specifics of the monument's formation.

"Today’s designation is the product of hard work and relentless determination of thousands of Arizonans from diverse backgrounds and interests, including Arizona tribal communities, local leaders, conservationists, sportsmen, and many more — all with a shared passion for protecting Arizona’s air, land, and water for future generations," Sinema said in a written statement. "I’m honored to help make the Grand Canyon National Monument a reality so Arizonans and visitors alike can continue to enjoy the beauty of Arizona’s national treasure."

At the dedication ceremony, Biden signed a national monument designation for the greater Grand Canyon, calling it a win for the planet.

"It is good for the soul of the nation,” Biden said at the event.

According to a Grand Canyon Trust survey, three-quarters of respondents voiced approval for a designation, suggesting there was little political downside to showing up.

"Today's event was just celebrating this monumental, courageous new monument and protecting these lands that are important to (tribes)," Cole said.

Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said that Gallego's absence is no big deal.

"It's so far away from the election. One way or another, it just doesn't matter," Sabato said. He added that because Gallego made an effort to meet with Biden on the tarmac, it obviously wasn't an insult.

"Nobody's going to remember this at the general (election)," he predicted.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ruben Gallego skips Biden Grand Canyon visit