The road to the United States Senate goes through Arizona,” said Domingo Garcia, chairman of LULAC Adelante, during a gathering at El Portal, a Phoenix restaurant near Grant Park, an area that has served as the de facto home of the Gallego campaign.

A poll by Morning Consult that straddled the days before and after the debate is the most recent to show Gallego, a five-term member of Congress, with a double-digit lead over Lake. Overall, nine of the past 10 polls have shown Lake within 9 points of Gallego, and three of those were 5 points or less.