TL/DR –
Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego has been gaining national attention through visits to Iowa and holding town halls in Arizona. Although he has not explicitly declared a presidential run, Gallego is actively building a national profile, leading to criticism from Republicans such as Kari Lake. Gallego emphasizes that his current focus is on helping Democrats win the 2026 midterm elections.
If Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego helps Democrats win in 2026, one person he should thank
- Senator Ruben Gallego gained national media attention from his visits to Iowa and town halls in Arizona.
- Gallego is building a national profile for a potential presidential bid, drawing criticism from Republicans including Kari Lake.
- Gallego’s current focus is on helping Democrats win the 2026 midterm elections.
Ruben Gallego, the Arizona senator, was seen posing in front of the iconic butter cow at the Iowa State Fair and campaigning across the midwestern state that favored Donald Trump in 2024.
Back in Arizona, Gallego held a town hall in Globe and interacted with a three-time Trump voter at another town hall in Apache Junction. This has put him in the national spotlight.
Hecklers tried to trip up Gallego. He didn’t bite
Gallego, after only eight months as a U.S. senator, remains elusive about his presidential intentions. “Running for president is out of the question right now,” he told 12 News’ Brahm Resnik during a walk-and-talk in Des Moines.
Currently, he’s focusing on building a national profile that clearly intimidates the Republicans. Gallego didn’t let a handful of hecklers dispatched by Turning Point USA in Iowa provoke him into reverting to his old self.
Kari Lake criticized his Iowa visit. No wonder
Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann called Gallego “out of touch and out of his depth.” The National Republican Congressional Committee complained that “he isn’t here to fight for Iowans, he’s fighting for his own political ambitions.”
Even Kari Lake noted Gallego’s presence in her native state, stating, “That’s something a far-left radical like @RubenGallego will never understand.”
Gallego says his focus is on 2026, not 2028
While Republicans try to gerrymander Texas to gain congressional seats, Gallego is focusing on state and national issues that matter to voters.
The once-liberal firebrand believes that Democrats must move to the center to stop their political exile. “There’s no governing coalition until we start winning here,” Gallego told The New York Times while in Iowa over the weekend. “And we know how to do it. I know how to get the message to do it.”
Gallego has Lake to thank if he succeeds
Gallego will visit New Hampshire later this month to spread his message. If Democrats succeed, they’ll have Gallego, in large part, to thank for it. And Gallego? He has Kari Lake to thank for his rising national profile.
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