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Ruben Gallego
United States Senator-elect from Arizona
Assuming office January 3, 2025
Succeeding	Kyrsten Sinema
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Ed Pastor
Succeeded by	Yassamin Ansari (elect)
Constituency	7th district (2015–2023) 3rd district (2023–present)
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
In office January 10, 2011 – March 14, 2014Serving with Catherine Miranda
Preceded by	Cloves Campbell Jr.
Succeeded by	Norma Muñoz
Constituency	16th district (2011–2013) 27th district (2013–2014)
Personal details
Born	Ruben Marinelarena (1979-11-20) November 20, 1979 (age 45) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Kate Widland ​ ​(m. 2010; div. 2017)​ Sydney Barron ​(m. 2021)​
Children	2
Education	Harvard University (BA)
Website	Campaign website House website
Military service
Branch/service	United States Marine Corps Marine Corps Reserve
Years of service	2002–2013
Rank	Lance Corporal
Unit	3rd Battalion, 25th Marines
Battles/wars	Iraq War
Gallego's voice Gallego speaks in support of the PAVA Program Inclusion Act Recorded September 29, 2022

Rubén Marinelarena Gallego (/ˈruːbən ɡaɪˈɛɡoʊ/ ROO-bən gy-EH-goh; born November 20, 1979) is an American politician who is a United States senator-elect from Arizona. He has served as the U.S. representative for Arizona's 3rd congressional district since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, Gallego was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, where he was assistant minority leader from 2012 until he resigned to run for Congress. Gallego was first elected to Congress in 2014. His district includes most of southern, western, and downtown Phoenix, and part of Glendale, where he served four terms in the House.

Gallego served as the national chair of Eric Swalwell's 2020 presidential campaign. A progressive politician, Gallego was critical of Senator Kyrsten Sinema for her opposition to abolishing the filibuster and votes against certain Democratic legislation. By the time he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2024, he had distanced himself from the label "progressive". Democratic Party members and liberal organizations encouraged him to run against Sinema, and in January 2023 he announced his candidacy for the 2024 United States Senate election in Arizona. As Sinema did not seek reelection, Gallego won the Democratic nomination unopposed. In the general election he defeated the Republican nominee, Kari Lake. He is the first Latino to be elected to represent Arizona in the United States Senate. When he takes office on January 3, 2025, he will be one of the first two Colombian American U.S. senators, along with Bernie Moreno of Ohio.

Early life and education

Gallego was born in Chicago, and is a second-generation American, with a Colombian mother and a Mexican father. Along with his three sisters, he was raised by a single mother. The family moved to the Chicago suburb Evergreen Park, and he graduated from Evergreen Park Community High School. Gallego attended Harvard College, where he became a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in international relations.

Early career

Gallego served in the Marines from 2002 to 2006. After completing training in the School of Infantry (SOI), he was deployed to Iraq with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines. Gallego served as a lance corporal. The 3/25 lost 46 marines and one Navy corpsman between January 2005 and January 2006. Gallego's best friend died during combat operations in Iraq.

In 2007, Gallego led District 7 Phoenix City Council candidate Michael Nowakowski's successful campaign before serving as Nowakowski's chief of staff. In 2009, he stepped down as chief of staff to focus on his campaign for the Arizona State House in District 16, which he won in 2010.

In 2011, The Arizona Republic named Gallego a distinguished freshman lawmaker. His first successful bill granted in-state tuition status to veterans residing in Arizona. Gallego supported the repeal of Arizona SB 1070. In 2012, Gallego was elected assistant minority leader.

Gallego founded the group Citizens for Professional Law Enforcement to recall Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio, citing Arpaio's immigration policies and his use of taxpayer money to investigate Barack Obama's citizenship. The attempt failed; Arpaio remained in office until losing reelection in 2016. Gallego worked for Strategies 360 as Director of Latino and New Media operations. He also worked for RIESTER, one of Arizona's largest public relations firms.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2014

On February 27, 2014, Gallego announced his candidacy for Congress in Arizona's 7th congressional district. Although not required to give up his seat under Arizona's resign-to-run laws (since he was in the final year of his state House term), Gallego resigned from the Arizona House in March 2014. Mayday PAC, a super PAC seeking to reduce the role of money in politics, endorsed Gallego in 2014.

Gallego won a five-way Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic, majority-Latino district—with 48.9% of the vote. He won the general election with 74% of the vote. He has been reelected three times, never dropping below 70% of the vote. He is the second Colombian American elected to the U.S. House, after Scott Perry.

2016

Gallego defeated Republican challenger Eve Nunez in 2016.

2018

Gallego defeated Green Party challenger Gary Swing in 2018.

2020

Gallego defeated Republican challenger Joshua Barnett in 2020.

2022

In 2022, Gallego ran in the newly redrawn Arizona District 3 and defeated Republican challenger Jeff Zink. Considered a progressive politician, Gallego, who has been very critical of Senator Kyrsten Sinema, was encouraged by several progressive organizations to run against her in the 2024 election. He announced his candidacy on January 23, 2023.

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
• Committee on Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
  • Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries

Caucus memberships

• Blue Collar Caucus
• Congressional Arts Caucus
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus
• Congressional Equality Caucus
• Congressional Progressive Caucus (formerly)
• Rare Disease Caucus
• House Baltic Caucus
• Medicare for All Caucus
• Congressional Coalition on Adoption

U.S. Senate

On January 22, 2023, Gallego announced his candidacy for the United States Senate in 2024. The seat is currently held by Kyrsten Sinema, an independent who was first elected as a Democrat in 2018, and who has angered some members of the party due to her opposition to filibuster reform and some Democratic legislation. After Gallego entered the race, and with Sinema not polling well, she chose not to run for reelection. Gallego had raised more money than Sinema in the first two quarters of 2023.

In 2022, Gallego bought a home near Capitol Hill using a special mortgage loan program for military veterans. He claimed the District of Columbia home as his primary residence although his campaign maintains that he resides in his Phoenix home. Gallego receives a homeowner rebate in Arizona that lowers the tax burdens for residents who primarily live in the state. Politico noted that Gallego "may have to explain why he declared he was primarily a resident of the nation's capital".

Gallego, who had previously embraced his progressive background as "a fierce liberal combatant", has sought to strike a moderate tone in his 2024 campaign in order to woo swing voters. He once called Donald Trump's border wall plans "stupid" and accused Trump of "scapegoating immigrants" but by 2024 was "delicately turning to the political center". The New York Times wrote, "Gallego has built a reputation as a blunt-spoken liberal who is politically in tune with young progressives and lacerates his opponents with profane social media posts." While Gallego seeks to move to the middle, Republicans in Arizona are highlighting his co-sponsorship of the Medicare for All Act, his support for ending the Senate filibuster, and his suggestion to "take a scalpel" to military spending. In 2018, Gallego rallied alongside Bernie Sanders, and in 2022 he called himself "a true progressive voice in Congress". By 2024, he no longer embraced the label "progressive". He let his membership in the Congressional Progressive Caucus lapse, which he claimed was a financial decision.

On November 9, 2024, Decision Desk HQ projected that Gallego had beaten Lake in the Senate election in Arizona. On November 12, the Associated Press also projected that he had defeated Lake. Gallego significantly outperformed Kamala Harris, winning by 2.4% while Harris lost the 2024 United States presidential election in Arizona by 5.5%.

Political positions

In November 2020, the House of Representatives passed a bill, introduced in bipartisan fashion by Gallego and Republican Markwayne Mullin, that requires the federal government to reimburse healthcare provided for Native veterans regardless of whether the healthcare was provided by, or referred by, the Indian Health Service or tribes. In May 2021, the House passed a bill Gallego sponsored, the Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act, that would have provided more government funding for Native American veterans. The Senate did not take up the bill.

In July 2021, it was reported that a corporate lobbying group called the U.S.–Qatar Business Council paid for a $22,000 trip to Qatar for Gallego and his wife, who is a lobbyist for the National Association of Realtors. Commentators noted that Gallego had previously criticized Sinema for allegedly being too close to business lobbyists. Gallego opposed the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade. He has called for enshrining abortion rights in the Constitution of Arizona.

In February 2022, Gallego called for expelling Russian university students from the U.S. Some commentators denounced these remarks as bigoted and xenophobic. On February 9, 2023, Gallego voted against overturning the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022, which would allow noncitizens to vote in local elections in the District of Columbia.

In the 117th United States Congress, Gallego voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time. In September 2023, the House passed Gallego's bill, the Native American Child Protection Act, which aims to set up a National Indian Child Resource and Family Services Center to assist and train tribes, tribal organizations and urban Indian organizations, and to forge state-tribe agreements to prevent, investigate, and prosecute family violence. Gallego voted to provide Israel with support following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

Personal life

On August 7, 2008, Gallego changed his name from Ruben Marinelarena to Ruben Marinelarena Gallego to honor his mother, Elisa Gallego, who raised him and his three siblings on her own after his father abandoned the family in his childhood. In 2010, Gallego married Kate Widland Gallego, who was later elected mayor of Phoenix. They divorced in 2017 and have one child together.

Gallego married Sydney Barron in 2021. Barron is a lobbyist for the National Association of Realtors. Gallego and Barron also have a child together. In 2021, Gallego, with Jim DeFelice, wrote the book They Called Us "Lucky": The Life and Afterlife of the Iraq War's Hardest Hit Unit, a memoir of Gallego's service in the war as a member of the U.S. Marines Third Battalion, Twenty-Fifth Marine Regiment, Lima Company.

Electoral history

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

See also

• List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress

References

1. Kling, Matt (April 15, 2019). "Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego Joins Eric Swalwell's Presidential Campaign". KJZZ (FM). Archived from the original on April 16, 2019.
2. ^ Tabet, Alex; Hillyard, Vaughn (April 8, 2024). "Ruben Gallego redefines himself as he seeks Senate promotion in Arizona". NBC News. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
3. Vakil, Caroline (November 9, 2024). "Gallego defeats Lake in Arizona Senate race". The Hill. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
4. ^ Cooper, Jonathan J. (November 12, 2024). "Democrat Ruben Gallego wins Arizona US Senate race against Republican Kari Lake". Associated Press. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
5. "Guide to the New Congress" (PDF). Roll Call. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 3, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
6. ^ Kavaler, Tara (November 30, 2021). "5 takeaways from Rep. Ruben Gallego's new book They Called Us Lucky". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
7. ^ Lopatin, Shari (September 2011). "Marine Turned Politician". Phoenix Magazine. Archived from the original on November 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
8. "Evergreen Park Community High School: Hall of Fame Inductees" (PDF). evergreenpark.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
9. Avi-Yonah, Shera S. (June 10, 2019). "Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Introduces Legislation That Could Endanger Harvard's Sanctions". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
10. "Ruben Gallego". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
11. Eckstein, Megan (March 26, 2015). "Meet the Navy, USMC Veterans on the House Armed Services Committee". USNI News.
12. Saksa, Jim (November 9, 2021). "Gallego memoir offers blunt assessment of war, Harvard and Congress". Roll Call. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
13. Tone of District 7 race leaves hard feelings. The Arizona Republic. November 10, 2007.
14. Wong, Scott (November 25, 2009). Nowakowski's top aide to run for House. The Arizona Republic.
15. "Ambition, Life Experience Driving State Representative". South Mountain District News. May 31, 2011. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
16. Pitzl, Mary Jo (May 21, 2011). "Arizona House and Senate distinguished freshmen". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
17. "Democrats select leaders in Arizona House, Senate". My Fox Memphis. Associated Press. November 13, 2012. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
18. Celock, John (September 25, 2012). "Joe Arpaio Opponents Form Super PAC To Unseat Arizona Sheriff". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
19. "Ruben Gallego". Strategies 360. Archived from the original on July 9, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
20. Foley, Elise (February 27, 2014). "Ruben Gallego, Arizona State Rep., Announces Bid For Congress". HuffPost. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
21. "Rep. Gallego resigns from Arizona House". Arizona Capitol Times. Associated Press. March 14, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
22. Sullivan, Sean (August 11, 2014). "A leading 'anti-super PAC' just backed three more candidates for Congress". Washington Post. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
23. Reinhard, Beth; Alfaro, Mariana (December 22, 2021). "Long before embracing Trump's false election claims, Rep. Scott Perry promoted groundless theories". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
24. "Arizona U.S. House 7th District Results: Ruben Gallego Wins". The New York Times. August 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
25. "Arizona Election Results 2018". Politico. November 7, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
26. "Arizona 2020". Washington Post.
27. Steinbach, Allison; Gonzalez, Daniel. "Rep. Ruben Gallego defeats Republican Jeff Zink in Arizona's 3rd Congressional District". Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
28. Carrasquillo, Adrian (September 30, 2021). "Draft Ruben Gallego effort launches as progressives seek to oust Kyrsten Sinema". Newsweek. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
29. Joan E Greve (January 23, 2023). "Ruben Gallego to run for Arizona Senate seat held by Kyrsten Sinema". The Guardian. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
30. "Ruben Gallego". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
31. Mutnick, Ally; Perano, Ursula (March 6, 2024). "Sinema's exit sparks rush to the center in Arizona Senate race". Politico. He quietly ended his membership in the Congressional Progressive Caucus at the end of last year, according to a person familiar with his decision who was granted anonymity to speak freely.
32. "Rare Disease Congressional Caucus". Every Life Foundation for Rare Diseases. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
33. "About Us". www.ccainstitute.org.
34. Altimari, Daniela; Weiss, Laura (January 23, 2023). "Rep. Ruben Gallego jumps into Arizona Senate race". Roll Call. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
35. Grisales, Claudia (March 5, 2024). "Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema retires from Senate". NPR. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
36. Mutnick, Ally (July 15, 2023). "Sinema outraised by Gallego again, further clouding her future". Politico. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
37. Lippman, Daniel (June 5, 2023). "Democratic Senate hopeful claims primary residence in Arizona — and D.C." Politico. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
38. Hansen, Ronald; Reagor, Catherine (June 6, 2023). "Rep. Ruben Gallego faces questions over terms of D.C. home purchase". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
39. Browning, Kellen (April 10, 2024). "In Arizona's Crucial Senate Race, a Liberal Fighter Courts the Center". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
40. Vakil, Caroline (November 9, 2024). "Gallego defeats Lake in Arizona Senate race". The Hill. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
41. Marans, Daniel (November 27, 2024). "How Ruben Gallego Threaded The Needle In Purple Arizona". The Huffington Post. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
42. Jennings, Chris (January 2021). "Series of U.S. House votes aim to help Native American veterans" (PDF). Biskinik. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
43. Goldenberg, Karli (June 2, 2021). "Bill Would Provide Better Education Benefits to Native American Veterans". military.com. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
44. Leonard, Kimberly; Levinthal, Dave (July 10, 2021). "Photos show shirtless Democratic congressmen and their wives riding camels on a Qatar trip paid for by a special interest group". Business Insider.
45. Birle, Jack (February 24, 2023). "Ruben Gallego slammed Sinema for relationship with lobbyists, but he's married to one". Washington Examiner. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
46. Fischer, Morgan (January 22, 2024). "Roe vs. Wade: Here's what Sinema and Gallego said about anniversary". Arizona Republic. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
47. Vargas, Ramon Antonio (April 15, 2024). "Arizona Democrat says enshrining abortion rights in constitution best remedy to 1864 ban". The Guardian. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
48. Jones, Sarah (February 28, 2022). "Xenophobia Is the Wrong Response to Russia". Intelligencer. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
49. Dinan, Stephen (February 9, 2023). "House votes to overturn D.C.'s illegal immigrant voting plan". The Washington Times.
50. "H.J.Res.24 - Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022". Congress.gov. February 9, 2023.
51. Bycoffe, Anna Wiederkehr and Aaron (October 22, 2021). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
52. Randazzo, Ryan (September 19, 2023). "House passes Rep. Ruben Gallego's Native American Child Protection Act". Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
53. "Native American Child Protect Act passes U.S. House". KNAU. September 19, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
54. Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023). "House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
55. "Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. October 25, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
56. Fuller, Jaime (June 12, 2014). "This Arizona candidate changed his name. His opponent wasn't happy about it". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
57. Gardiner, Dustin (December 21, 2016). "Phoenix Vice Mayor Kate Gallego and Rep. Ruben Gallego to divorce". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
58. Kurtz, Judy (February 18, 2020). "One lawmaker gets engaged, another married around Valentine's Day". The Hill. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
59. Wu, Nicholas (June 7, 2021). "Schumer's jam-packed June". Politico. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
60. Kavaler, Tara (July 7, 2023). "Meet Isla Jean Gallego: Rep. Ruben Gallego announces birth of daughter". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
61. "They Called Us Lucky". HarperCollins. Retrieved March 6, 2024.

External links

• Representative Ruben Gallego official U.S. House website
• Gallego for Arizona campaign website
• Appearances on C-SPAN

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart

v t e United States senators from Arizona
Class 1	Ashurst McFarland Goldwater Fannin DeConcini Kyl Flake Sinema Gallego (elect)
Class 3	Smith Cameron Hayden Goldwater McCain Kyl McSally Kelly

v t e Members of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona
Territorial (1863–1912)	Seat Poston Goodwin Bashford McCormick Stevens Campbell Oury Bean Smith Murphy Smith Wilson Smith Wilson Smith Cameron
One at-large seat (1912–1943)	Seat Hayden Douglas Greenway Murdock
Two at-large seats (1943–1949)	Seat Murdock Seat Harless
Districts (1949–present) (3rd district established in 1963) (4th district established in 1973) (5th district established in 1983) (6th district established in 1993) (7th and 8th districts established in 2003) (9th district established in 2013)	1st district Murdock Rhodes Jr. McCain Rhodes III Coppersmith Salmon Flake Renzi Kirkpatrick Gosar Kirkpatrick O'Halleran Schweikert 2nd district Patten S. Udall M. Udall Pastor Franks Barber McSally Kirkpatrick Crane 3rd district Senner Steiger Stump Shadegg Quayle Grijalva Gallego Ansari (elect) 4th district Conlan Rudd Kyl Shadegg Pastor Gosar Stanton 5th district McNulty Kolbe Hayworth Mitchell Schweikert Salmon Biggs 6th district English Hayworth Flake Schweikert Ciscomani 7th district Grijalva Pastor Gallego Grijalva 8th district Kolbe Giffords Barber Franks Lesko Hamadeh (elect) 9th district Sinema Stanton Gosar

• 1979 births
• Living people
• 21st-century members of the Arizona State Legislature
• 21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives
• 21st-century United States senators
• American politicians of Colombian descent
• American politicians of Mexican descent
• Democratic Party members of the Arizona House of Representatives
• Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona
• Democratic Party United States senators from Arizona
• Harvard College alumni
• Hispanic and Latino American members of the United States Congress
• Hispanic and Latino American military personnel
• Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Arizona
• Military personnel from Arizona
• Military personnel from Illinois
• People associated with the 2020 United States presidential election
• People from Chicago
• People from Evergreen Park, Illinois
• Politicians from Chicago
• Politicians from Phoenix, Arizona
• Sigma Chi
• Spouses of Arizona politicians
• Spouses of United States mayors
• United States Marine Corps personnel of the Iraq War
• United States Marines