U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego and Erika Kirk, Turning Point USA's CEO, have been named to Time magazine’s 100 “rising stars,” a list that name-checks the world of art, culture and leadership but also points to Arizona’s continued political relevance.

Both Arizonans made the Sept. 30 Time100 Next list under the section for leaders and, befitting their opposing politics, in very different ways.

Gallego, D-Arizona, drew praise as “a rare bright spot for a party that seems to have lost its way” in a nod to his 2024 Senate victory and as a notably relevant figure in the chamber who has drawn speculation about a White House bid.

By contrast, Kirk, the widow of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, vaulted from relative obscurity to become a model of “resilience and grace.”

“Few would have

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