Ruben Gallego

Ruben Gallego
Official portrait, 2025
United States Senator
from Arizona
Assumed office
January 3, 2025
Serving with Mark Kelly
Preceded byKyrsten Sinema
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Arizona
In office
January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2025
Preceded byEd Pastor
Succeeded byYassamin Ansari
Constituency7th district (2015–2023)
3rd district (2023–2025)
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
In office
January 10, 2011 – March 14, 2014
Serving with Catherine Miranda
Preceded byCloves Campbell Jr.
Succeeded byNorma Muñoz
Constituency16th district (2011–2013)
27th district (2013–2014)
Personal details
BornRuben Marinelarena
(1979-11-20) November 20, 1979
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
Spouses
  • (m. 2010; div. 2017)
  • Sydney Barron
    (m. 2021)
Children3
Alma materHarvard University (AB)
Signature
WebsiteSenate website
Campaign website
Military service
Branch/service
Years of service2002-2006
RankCorporal
Unit3rd Battalion, 25th Marines
Battles/warsIraq War

Rubén Marinelarena Gallego (/ˈrbən ɡˈɛɡ/ ROO-bən ghy-EH-goh; born November 20, 1979) is an American politician serving since 2025 as the junior United States senator from Arizona. A member of the Democratic Party, he served from 2015 to 2025 as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona and from 2011 to 2014 as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives.

Gallego was first elected to Congress in 2014. He was critical of Senator Kyrsten Sinema for her opposition to filibuster reform and some Democratic legislation. Democrats and liberal organizations encouraged him to run against Sinema, and in January 2023, Gallego announced his candidacy for the 2024 United States Senate election in Arizona. Sinema did not seek reelection. Gallego defeated the Republican nominee, Kari Lake, in the general election.[1]

Gallego is the first Latino to be elected to represent Arizona in the United States Senate.[2] After taking office on January 3, 2025, he became one of the first two Colombian-American U.S. senators, along with Republican Bernie Moreno of Ohio.

Early life and education

Gallego was born in Chicago,[3] and is a second-generation American, with a Colombian mother and a Mexican father.[4] His mother, Elisa Gallego, was from Antioquia Department.[5] Along with his three sisters, he was raised by a single mother.[6] The family moved to the Chicago suburb of Evergreen Park, and he graduated from Evergreen Park Community High School.[7] Gallego attended Harvard College, where he became a member of Sigma Chi fraternity[8] and graduated in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in government.[9]

Early career

Gallego in 2013

Gallego served in the Marines from 2002 to 2006.[10] 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.[11] 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.[6]

In 2007, Gallego led District 7 Phoenix City Council candidate Michael Nowakowski's successful campaign before serving as Nowakowski's chief of staff.[12] 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.[13][14]

In 2011, The Arizona Republic named Gallego a distinguished freshman lawmaker.[15] His first successful bill granted in-state tuition status to veterans residing in Arizona.[6] Gallego supported the repeal of Arizona SB 1070.[16] In 2012, Gallego was elected assistant minority leader.[17]

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.[18] The recall 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.[19]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2014

Gallego speaking at a rally for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016

On February 27, 2014, Gallego announced his candidacy for Congress in Arizona's 7th congressional district.[20] 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.[21]

Gallego won a five-way Democratic primary with 48.9% of the vote, defeating Mary Rose Wilcox, who was retiring congressman Ed Pastor's choice to succeed him and was backed by a number of progressive groups.[22] Gallego went on to win the general election with 74.9% of the vote. He is the second Colombian American elected to the U.S. House, after Scott Perry.[23]

2016

Gallego won the Democratic nomination unopposed and was reelected in 2016 with 75.3% of the vote.[24]

2018

Gallego was reelected in 2018 with 85.6% of the vote.[25]

2020

Considered a rising progressive star in the party, Gallego was encouraged by several progressive groups to run for Senate by challenging Mark Kelly in the Democratic primary. Although he expressed interest, he ultimately chose to seek reelection to his House seat.[26] He won the Democratic nomination unopposed and was reelected with 76.7% of the vote.[27]

Gallego served as the national chair of Eric Swalwell's 2020 presidential campaign.[28] He endorsed Kamala Harris after Swalwell dropped out, and Joe Biden after Harris dropped out.[26]

2021

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.[29]

In the 117th United States Congress, Gallego voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time.[30]

2022

In 2022, Gallego ran in the newly redrawn Arizona District 3 and was reelected with 77% of the vote.[31] Gallego, a major critic of Senator Kyrsten Sinema, was encouraged by several progressive organizations to run against her in the 2024 election.[32] He announced his candidacy on January 23, 2023.[33]

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:[34]

Caucus memberships

U.S. Senate

Elections

2024

Gallego's Senate campaign logo

On January 22, 2023, Gallego announced his candidacy for the United States Senate in 2024.[40] The seat was then held by Kyrsten Sinema, an independent who was first elected as a Democrat in 2018, and who angered members of the party due to her opposition to filibuster reform and some major Democratic legislation. After Gallego entered the race, and with Sinema not polling well, she chose not to run for reelection.[41] Gallego had raised more money than Sinema in the first two quarters of 2023.[42]

Gallego with Barack Obama

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".[43][44]

Though he had previously embraced his progressive background as "a fierce liberal combatant", he moved to the political center in his 2024 campaign to woo swing voters. He once called Donald Trump's border wall plans "stupid" and accused Trump of "scapegoating immigrants". His campaign emphasized his Marine Corps service and combat experience in Iraq, positioning him as a moderate voice on national security issues to appeal to independent voters. He distanced himself from progressive positions he had held in his House career, focusing instead on economic issues and border security.[45] 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." Republicans in Arizona highlighted 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.[46] 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.[47]

On November 9, 2024, Decision Desk HQ projected that Gallego had beaten Lake in the Senate election in Arizona.[48] On November 12, the Associated Press also projected that he had defeated Lake.[2] Gallego significantly outperformed Kamala Harris, winning by 2.4% while Harris lost the 2024 United States presidential election in Arizona by 5.5%.[49]

Tenure

In 2025, Gallego was one of 12 Senate Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for the Laken Riley Act.[50]

Committee assignments

Source:[51]

Caucus memberships

Political positions

Gallego is a founding member of the centrist Majority Democrats group, along with Senators Elissa Slotkin and Michael Bennet.[53]

Abortion

Gallego opposed the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 ruling Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that upheld state abortion bans.[54] He called for enshrining abortion rights in the Constitution of Arizona,[55] which was implemented in 2024 through 2024 Arizona Proposition 139.

Foreign policy

In February 2022, Gallego called for expelling Russian university students from the U.S., prompting criticism of these remarks as bigoted and xenophobic.[56]

Gun policy

Gallego supported stronger gun control as of 2023. In May 2022, after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, he criticized Senator Ted Cruz for suggesting that calls for gun control were an attempt to politicize the tragedy.[57]

Immigration

Gallego co-sponsored and supported the Laken Riley Act, saying he was breaking with his party because it was "largely out of touch" with the "average Latino".[58] In February and March 2025, Gallego expressed support for deporting "dangerous" migrants to El Salvador prisons and Guantanamo Bay and called Trump's deportations to the country a Democratic "political trap".[59][60]

During the government shutdown of October 2025, Vice President JD Vance called for revisiting Reagan-era emergency care standards, saying that many Americans had experienced situations where "illegal aliens" unable to speak English received care before citizens in emergency rooms. In response, Gallego told Semafor, "We are open to passing laws that deny benefits, subsidies, or any assistance to individuals in the country illegally", but he raised concerns about the practical implications, saying that if emergency rooms were forced to turn away patients who couldn't provide identification, the people most likely to be denied care would be those who appear Latino or Asian.[61][62]

After the killing of Renée Good amid Trump's mass deportation campaign, Gallego opposed abolishing ICE and compared it to defund the police. He said that Americans want a "slimmed-down ICE".[63]

Gallego during a Natural Resources Committee meeting in 2020

In January 2026, after federal immigration agents fatally shot Alex Pretti during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, Gallego announced he would vote against the Department of Homeland Security funding bill. In an Fox News op-ed, he called Pretti's shooting "murder", writing that agents "shot over 10 times in five seconds" while Pretti was "lying on the ground, unarmed, and posed no threat". Gallego contrasted the agents' actions with his military training to deescalate situations and said he would not vote "to give ICE more taxpayer money to terrorize our communities".[64] Gallego and Senator Mark Kelly introduced the Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act of 2026, which would establish use-of-force standards emphasizing deescalation, require body cameras, and mandate reporting on force incidents.[65]

Native American social services

Gallego has sponsored or co-sponsored several bills funding social services for Native Americans.[66][67] 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.[68][69]

Gallego speaking to a U.S. Army officer in 2017

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.[70] In 2010, Gallego married Kate Widland Gallego, who was later elected mayor of Phoenix. They divorced in 2017 and have one child together.[71]

Gallego married Sydney Barron in 2021.[72][73] Barron is a lobbyist for the National Association of Realtors.[4] Gallego and Barron have two children together.[74][75]

In 2021, Gallego and Jim DeFelice wrote 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.[76]

Electoral history

2010

2010 Arizona House of Representatives Democratic primary, 16th district
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ruben Gallego 4,149 26.12
Democratic Catherine Miranda 3,476 21.88
Democratic Cloves Campbell Jr. (incumbent) 3,182 20.03
Democratic Jim Munoz Jr. 2,281 14.36
Democratic Sandra Gonzales 1,955 12.31
Democratic Cristy Lopez 842 5.30
2010 Arizona House of Representatives election, 16th district
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Catherine Miranda 19,197 39.46
Democratic Ruben Gallego 18,365 37.75
Republican Michael Gular 8,551 17.58
Green Angel Torres 2,532 5.21

2012

2012 Arizona House of Representatives election, 27th district
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Catherine Miranda (incumbent) 28,683 40.98
Democratic Ruben Gallego (incumbent) 27,522 39.32
Republican Daniel Coleman 10,088 14.41
Green Angel Torres 3,702 5.29

2014

2014 U.S. House Democratic primary, Arizona's 7th congressional district
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ruben Gallego 14,936 48.90
Democratic Mary Rose Wilcox 11,077 36.27
Democratic Randy Camacho 2,330 7.63
Democratic Jarrett Maupin 2,199 7.20
2014 U.S. House election, Arizona's 7th congressional district
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ruben Gallego 54,235 74.85
Libertarian Joe Cobb 10,715 14.79
Americans Elect Rebecca DeWitt 3,858 5.32
Independent José Peñalosa 3,496 4.83
Write-in 150 0.21

2016

2016 U.S. House election, Arizona's 7th congressional district
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ruben Gallego (incumbent) 119,465 75.2
Republican Eve Nunez 39,286 24.7
Write-in 60 < 0.01

2018

2018 U.S. House election, Arizona's 7th congressional district
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ruben Gallego (incumbent) 113,044 85.6
Green Gary Swing 18,706 14.1
Write-in 301 < 0.01

2020

2020 U.S. House election, Arizona's 7th congressional district
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ruben Gallego (incumbent) 165,452 75.7%
Republican Josh Barnett 50,226 23.3%
Write-in 54 0.0%
Total votes 215,732 100%
Democratic hold

2022

2022 U.S. House election, Arizona's 3rd congressional district
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ruben Gallego (incumbent) 108,599 77.0%
Republican Jeff Zink 32,475 23.0%
Total votes 141,074 100%
Democratic hold

2024

2024 United States Senate election in Arizona
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ruben Gallego 1,676,335 50.1%
Republican Kari Lake 1,595,761 47.7%
Green Eduardo Heredia Quintana 75,868 2.3%
Write-in 850 0.0%
Total votes 3,348,814 100%
Democratic gain from Independent

See also

References

  1. ^ Vakil, Caroline (November 9, 2024). "Gallego defeats Lake in Arizona Senate race". The Hill. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Cooper, Jonathan J. (November 12, 2024). "Democrat Ruben Gallego wins Arizona US Senate race against Republican Kari Lake". Associated Press. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  3. ^ "Guide to the New Congress" (PDF). Roll Call. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 3, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  4. ^ a b 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.
  5. ^ "Una inmigrante colombiana crio sola a Rubén Gallego, quien logró coronar como Senador de EE. UU" (in Spanish). November 12, 2024. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Lopatin, Shari (September 2011). "Marine Turned Politician". Phoenix Magazine. Archived from the original on November 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "Ruben Gallego". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  10. ^ Eckstein, Megan (March 26, 2015). "Meet the Navy, USMC Veterans on the House Armed Services Committee". USNI News.
  11. ^ Saksa, Jim (November 9, 2021). "Gallego memoir offers blunt assessment of war, Harvard and Congress". Roll Call. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  12. ^ Tone of District 7 race leaves hard feelings. The Arizona Republic. November 10, 2007.
  13. ^ Wong, Scott (November 25, 2009). Nowakowski's top aide to run for House. The Arizona Republic.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ Mendoza, Angel (August 6, 2018). "Gallego: Latino and immigrant hate are 'one and the same'". Cronkite News. Arizona: Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
  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. ^ Jaffe, Alexandra (August 27, 2014). "Progressive-backed Dem wins bid to succeed Pastor". TheHill. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  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. ^ a b Sullivan, Gregory Krieg, Kate (March 6, 2020). "Rising progressive star Rep. Ruben Gallego endorses Joe Biden | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved February 17, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  27. ^ "Arizona 2020". Washington Post.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ Wiederkehr, Anna; Bycoffe, Aaron (October 22, 2021). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  31. ^ Steinbach, Allison; Gonzalez, Daniel. "Rep. Ruben Gallego defeats Republican Jeff Zink in Arizona's 3rd Congressional District". Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  32. ^ Carrasquillo, Adrian (September 30, 2021). "Draft Ruben Gallego effort launches as progressives seek to oust Kyrsten Sinema". Newsweek. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  33. ^ Joan E Greve (January 23, 2023). "Ruben Gallego to run for Arizona Senate seat held by Kyrsten Sinema". The Guardian. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  34. ^ "Ruben Gallego". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  35. ^ "Members". Congressional Hispanic Caucus. April 21, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  36. ^ "Members". Congressional Ukraine Caucus. June 13, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  37. ^ 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.
  38. ^ "Rare Disease Congressional Caucus". Every Life Foundation for Rare Diseases. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  39. ^ "About Us". www.ccainstitute.org.
  40. ^ Altimari, Daniela; Weiss, Laura (January 23, 2023). "Rep. Ruben Gallego jumps into Arizona Senate race". Roll Call. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  41. ^ Grisales, Claudia (March 5, 2024). "Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema retires from Senate". NPR. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  42. ^ Mutnick, Ally (July 15, 2023). "Sinema outraised by Gallego again, further clouding her future". Politico. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  43. ^ Lippman, Daniel (June 5, 2023). "Democratic Senate hopeful claims primary residence in Arizona — and D.C." Politico. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  44. ^ 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.
  45. ^ Herndon, Astead W. (October 24, 2024). "How Ruben Gallego Went From Liberal Darling to Arizona Pragmatist". The New York Times. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  46. ^ 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.
  47. ^ Tabet, Alex; Hillyard, Vaughn (April 8, 2024). "Ruben Gallego redefines himself as he seeks Senate promotion in Arizona". NBC News. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  48. ^ Vakil, Caroline (November 9, 2024). "Gallego defeats Lake in Arizona Senate race". The Hill. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  49. ^ Marans, Daniel (November 27, 2024). "How Ruben Gallego Threaded The Needle In Purple Arizona". The Huffington Post. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  50. ^ Weaver, Al (January 20, 2025). "Senate passes Laken Riley Act in first move after Trump inauguration". The Hill. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  51. ^ "Leader Schumer Announces New Senate Democratic Committee Assignments | Senate Democratic Leadership". www.democrats.senate.gov. January 2, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  52. ^ "Members | Congressional Hispanic Caucus". chc.house.gov. April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  53. ^ Brownstein, Ronald (October 5, 2025). "How today's Democratic soul-searching echoes the Clinton era | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  54. ^ Fischer, Morgan (January 22, 2024). "Roe vs. Wade: Here's what Sinema and Gallego said about anniversary". Arizona Republic. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  55. ^ 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.
  56. ^ Jones, Sarah (February 28, 2022). "Xenophobia Is the Wrong Response to Russia". Intelligencer. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  57. ^ Nichols, John (January 25, 2023). "Ruben Gallego Is More Than Just an Alternative to Kyrsten Sinema". ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  58. ^ "Why Ruben Gallego's Laken Riley vote is a warning for Democrats". POLITICO. January 21, 2025. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  59. ^ Bregel, Emily (March 22, 2025). "Sen. Ruben Gallego: Trump set political 'trap' for Dems on deportation issue". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  60. ^ Garcia-Navarro, Lulu (February 15, 2025). "Senator Ruben Gallego on the Democrats' Problem: 'We're Always Afraid'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  61. ^ "Republicans' shutdown strategy: All 'illegals,' all the time". Archived from the original on October 2, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  62. ^ Blake, Aaron (October 4, 2025). "The truth about the shutdown and health care for immigrants | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  63. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/us/politics/democrats-abolish-ice-slogan.html
  64. ^ Gallego, Ruben (January 27, 2026). "I won't fund a rogue ICE that shoots first and calls it law enforcement". Fox News. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  65. ^ "Gallego, Kelly Introduce Bicameral Bill to Increase ICE Accountability and Keep Communities Safe" (Press release). Office of Senator Ruben Gallego. January 2026. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  66. ^ Jennings, Chris (January 2021). "Series of U.S. House votes aim to help Native American veterans" (PDF). Biskinik. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  67. ^ Goldenberg, Karli (June 2, 2021). "Bill Would Provide Better Education Benefits to Native American Veterans". military.com. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  68. ^ 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.
  69. ^ "Native American Child Protect Act passes U.S. House". KNAU. September 19, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  70. ^ 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.
  71. ^ Gardiner, Dustin (December 21, 2016). "Phoenix Vice Mayor Kate Gallego and Rep. Ruben Gallego to divorce". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  72. ^ Kurtz, Judy (February 18, 2020). "One lawmaker gets engaged, another married around Valentine's Day". The Hill. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  73. ^ Wu, Nicholas (June 7, 2021). "Schumer's jam-packed June". Politico. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  74. ^ Kavaler, Tara (July 7, 2023). "Meet Isla Jean Gallego: Rep. Ruben Gallego announces birth of daughter". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  75. ^ Nowicki, Dan (June 13, 2025). "Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego announces birth of son". Arizona Central. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  76. ^ "They Called Us Lucky". HarperCollins. Retrieved March 6, 2024.