37 Facts About Ruben Gallego

Ruben Marinelarena Gallego is an American politician and Marine Corps veteran serving since 2025 as the junior United States senator from Arizona.

Ruben 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.

Ruben Gallego's district included most of southern, western, and downtown Phoenix and part of Glendale.

Ruben Gallego was critical of Senator Kyrsten Sinema for her opposition to filibuster reform and some Democratic legislation.

Sinema later announced she would not seek reelection, and Ruben Gallego won the Democratic nomination unopposed.

Ruben Gallego defeated Republican nominee Kari Lake in the general election.

Ruben Gallego is the first Latino to be elected to represent Arizona in the United States Senate.

Ruben Gallego was born in Chicago, and is a second-generation American, with a Colombian mother and a Mexican father.

Ruben Gallego attended Harvard College, where he became a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in government.

In 2007, Ruben Gallego led District 7 Phoenix City Council candidate Michael Nowakowski's successful campaign before serving as Nowakowski's chief of staff.

In 2011, The Arizona Republic named Ruben Gallego a distinguished freshman lawmaker.

Ruben 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.

Ruben Gallego worked for Strategies 360 as Director of Latino and New Media operations.

Ruben Gallego worked for RIESTER, one of Arizona's largest public relations firms.

On February 27,2014, Ruben Gallego announced his candidacy for Congress in Arizona's 7th congressional district.

Ruben Gallego is the second Colombian American elected to the US House, after Scott Perry.

On January 22,2023, Ruben Gallego announced his candidacy for the United States Senate in 2024.

Ruben Gallego had raised more money than Sinema in the first two quarters of 2023.

In 2022, Ruben Gallego bought a home near Capitol Hill using a special mortgage loan program for military veterans.

Ruben Gallego claimed the District of Columbia home as his primary residence although his campaign maintains that he resides in his Phoenix home.

Ruben Gallego receives a homeowner rebate in Arizona that lowers the tax burdens for residents who primarily live in the state.

Ruben Gallego, who had previously embraced his progressive background as "a fierce liberal combatant", sought to strike a moderate tone in his 2024 campaign in order to woo swing voters.

In 2018, Ruben Gallego rallied alongside Bernie Sanders, and in 2022 he called himself "a true progressive voice in Congress".

Ruben Gallego 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 Ruben Gallego had beaten Lake in the Senate election in Arizona.

In 2025, Ruben Gallego was one of 12 Senate Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for the Laken Riley Act.

Ruben Gallego supports Medicare for All, and was a member of the Medicare for All Caucus in the House of Representatives.

In November 2020, Ruben Gallego co-sponsored a bill with Republican Markwayne Mullin that would have required 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, Ruben Gallego sponsored a bill that would have provided more government funding for Native American veterans at tribal colleges and universities.

Commentators noted that Ruben Gallego had previously criticized Sinema for allegedly being too close to business lobbyists.

Ruben Gallego has called for enshrining abortion rights in the Constitution of Arizona.

In February 2022, Ruben Gallego called for expelling Russian university students from the US, prompting criticism of these remarks as bigoted and xenophobic.

In February 2023, Ruben Gallego voted against overturning the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022, which would allow noncitizens to vote in DC's local elections.

Ruben Gallego voted to provide Israel with support after the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

Ruben Gallego served as the national chair of Eric Swalwell's 2020 presidential campaign.

Ruben Gallego endorsed Kamala Harris after Swalwell dropped out, and Joe Biden after Harris dropped out.

In 2010, Ruben Gallego married Kate Widland Ruben Gallego, who was later elected mayor of Phoenix.