Ballotpedia, Ruben Gallego

AZ Central, Who is Ruben Gallego? What to know about the Democratic candidate in Arizona's Senate race

Ruben is originally from Chicago, Illinois. He earned his bachelor's degree in international relations from Harvard University. He lives with his wife, Sydney, and their 2 children in South Phoenix. 

Ruben previously served as a chief of staff for a former Phoenix City Councilmember Michael Nowakowski. He served as an infantryman in the US Marines for 4 years. 

Ruben Gallego currently served as US Representative in Congressional District 3. He was first elected in 2014 and is serving his first term. He previously served as US Representative in Congressional District 7 for 4 terms from 2015 to 2023 and as Representative in the Arizona House for 2 terms from 2010 to 2014. 

Candidate website

Supports bringing high-paying jobs to Arizona and aiding small businesses through increased funding and tax deductions. As a House Representative, voted for the CHIPS and Science Act to create semiconductor manufacturing jobs.

Wants to bring high-paying jobs and help small businesses.

Supports raising the minimum wage to $15/hour and empowering workers to organize and collectively bargain.

Supports raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and workers' rights to organize and collectively bargain.

Believes billionaires and corporations should pay their fair share by ending tax loopholes and exorbitant giveaways.

Plans to address tax loopholes to ensure people "pay their fair share."

Believes Wall Street bankers and big corporations are getting richer while everyday people are being squeezed. Supports building an economy that works for everyone and makes life affordable for hard-working families.

Wants to "build an economy that works for everyone, and makes life affordable for hard-working families."

- Wants to bring high-paying jobs and help small businesses.
- Supports raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and workers' rights to organize and collectively bargain.
- Plans to address tax loopholes to ensure people "pay their fair share."
- Wants to "build an economy that works for everyone, and makes life affordable for hard-working families."

Economy

Supports expanding Medicaid and opposes the privatization of Medicare.

Believes in lowering health care costs and ensuring access to high-quality health care for all Arizonans. As a House Representative, led efforts on prescription drug reform.

Wants to lower health care costs and pass prescription drug reforms.

The candidate's website says, "As your Senator, Ruben will continue to champion the right to choose—starting by waiving the filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade."

Supports abortion and wants to put Roe v. Wade into law.

Believes in protecting women's health care and sensitive medical data. As a House Representative, co-sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act and the My Body, My Data Act.

Believes in protecting women's health care providers and sensitive medical data. 

Believes in improving access to quality healthcare for tribal communities. As a House Representative, sponsored legislation to support Urban Indian Health Organizations and the Indian Health Service.

Plans to improve access to quality healthcare for tribal communities.

Believes "health care is a human right" and that the current system is "unacceptable" for not providing high-quality, comprehensive care to all Arizonans.

Said, "Health care is a human right, and in the wealthiest nation on the planet, it is unacceptable that high-quality, comprehensive health care is not accessible for all Arizonans."

- Supports expanding Medicaid and opposes the privatization of Medicare.
- Wants to lower health care costs and pass prescription drug reforms.
- Supports abortion and wants to put Roe v. Wade into law.
- Believes in protecting women's health care providers and sensitive medical data. 
- Plans to improve access to quality healthcare for tribal communities.
- Said, "Health care is a human right, and in the wealthiest nation on the planet, it is unacceptable that high-quality, comprehensive health care is not accessible for all Arizonans."

Healthcare

Plans to codify voting rights bills into law to protect the right to vote.

Supports improving voting access for Native Americans with disabilities through the PAVA Program Inclusion Act.

Wants to improve voting access for Native Americans.

Believes extremist GOP legislators are "actively suppressing the vote" and attempting to overturn free and fair elections. Said, "American democracy is at an inflection point," and supports leaders who understand these challenges.

Said, "Extremist GOP legislators in Arizona and across the country are actively suppressing the vote and attempting to overturn the results of free and fair elections."

- Plans to codify voting rights bills into law to protect the right to vote.
- Wants to improve voting access for Native Americans.
- Said, "Extremist GOP legislators in Arizona and across the country are actively suppressing the vote and attempting to overturn the results of free and fair elections."

Voting & Elections

As a House Representative, led efforts to address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) and improve tribal law enforcement through the BADGES in Native Communities Act.

Advocates for improved tribal law enforcement and addressing missing and murdered indigenous women.

- Advocates for improved tribal law enforcement and addressing missing and murdered indigenous women.

Public Safety

Supports universal kindergarten and making sure every child has access to high quality, full day kindergarten.

Believes investing in educators is essential to improving student outcomes. As a House Representative, introduced the Teachers LEAD Act to support teachers and improve retention.

Believes investing in educators is important in improving student outcomes. 

Supports expanding access to education from early childhood to college, including universal full-day kindergarten, increased public school funding, and affordable higher education.

Advocates for increased public school funding and affordable higher education.

Believes in strong public schools, career and technical training, and affordable higher education for all Arizona children. Plans to advocate for these educational opportunities in the Senate.

Believes in strong public schools, affordable higher education, and vocational training for all children. Plans to advocate for these educational opportunities in the Senate.

Believes education can transform lives and supports equal educational opportunities for all children. As a Congressman, works to provide transformative educational opportunities that helped him achieve the American Dream.

- Supports universal kindergarten and making sure every child has access to high quality, full day kindergarten.
- Believes investing in educators is important in improving student outcomes. 
- Advocates for increased public school funding and affordable higher education.

Education

Supports comprehensive veterans' benefits, including housing, education, and health care, and advocates for policies aiding veterans exposed to toxic substances. As a former Veterans’ Affairs Committee member, sponsored legislation to protect veterans' compensation rights.

Supports comprehensive veterans' benefits, including housing, education, and health care.

Advocates for funding to hire more border patrol agents.

Supports providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and children  under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Believes America can lead globally and "stand up to enemies of democracy." Supports Arizona's role through military communities, innovative manufacturing, and world-class universities.

Believes America can lead globally and "stand up to enemies of democracy" through military communities, manufacturing, and quality universities.

Believes border communities face a serious crisis and supports securing borders, reforming immigration, and stopping fentanyl flow. Plans to ensure a prosperous cross-border economy.

Said, "We need smart ways to keep our border secure, allow for a prosperous cross-border economy, reform a broken immigration system, and stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities."

- Supports comprehensive veterans' benefits, including housing, education, and health care.
- Advocates for funding to hire more border patrol agents.
- Supports providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and children  under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
- Believes America can lead globally and "stand up to enemies of democracy" through military communities, manufacturing, and quality universities.
- Said, "We need smart ways to keep our border secure, allow for a prosperous cross-border economy, reform a broken immigration system, and stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities."

Foreign Policy and Immigration

Supports preserving public lands and expanding access to national parks, especially for veterans and Gold Star families. As a House Representative, led efforts to protect areas like the Grand Canyon from industry exploitation.

Advocates for preserving public lands and expanding access to national parks.

Believes water is a top priority for Arizona's future and supports efforts to combat urban heat and ensure water availability.

Believes in protecting public lands and the environment for future generations. Supports preserving natural beauty, such as the Grand Canyon and Humphreys Peak.

Believes a safe and healthy future for families depends on sustainable water access. Plans to fight for this access as Arizona’s next Senator.

Believes in protecting Arizona's water resources. Supports environmental policies to ensure sustainable water management.

- Advocates for preserving public lands and expanding access to national parks.
- Believes water is a top priority for Arizona's future and supports efforts to combat urban heat and ensure water availability.

Energy & the Environment

As of June 19, 2024, Ruben Gallego’s website did not contain information on this issue.

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Ruben Gallego

Ruben Gallego is currently US Representative in Congressional District 3. He was elected in 2014 and is serving his first term. He previously served as US Representative in Congressional District 7 for 4 terms from 2015 to 2023 and as Representative in the Arizona House for 2 terms from 2010 to 2014. 

Believes the inflation crisis is harming Arizona’s small businesses and working families due to supply chain issues, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the conflict in Ukraine, and is worsened by corporate price gouging on essentials like food and gas.

As a House Representative, Ruben Gallego supported the Inflation Reduction Act to lower costs for essentials, invested in clean energy, and ensured billion-dollar corporations pay fair taxes.

Supports lowering costs for consumers and combating corporate price gouging through bipartisan legislation. As a House Representative, sponsored the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act to reduce prices at grocery stores and gas stations.

The candidate's website says, "Detect, investigate and prevent fraudulent transactions and other illegal activities and protect the rights and property of Campaign and others; and"

Believes education can transform lives and supports providing all children with equal educational opportunities.

As a House Representative, introduced legislation to prevent foreign entities from using excess water in drought-stricken states and to fund climate resiliency and water conservation technologies.

As a House Representative, co-authored the 30×30 Initiative to conserve 30% of global lands and oceans by 2030 and advocated for permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Ruben previously served as a chief of staff for a former Phoenix City Councilmember. He served as an infantryman in the US Marines for 4 years. 

Supports expanding Medicaid and opposes efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.

Supports lowering prescription drug prices and opposes any attempt to privatize or cut Medicare.

Believes in protecting the right to access abortion and contraception. Supports healthcare policies that ensure comprehensive access to medical services.

Believes abortion is a fundamental right and supports defending it in Congress.

Supports protecting voting rights and election administration. As a Congressman, backed the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.

As a House Representative, helped strengthen and restore the Voting Rights Act to ensure all Americans have access to the polls.

Supports addressing the teacher shortage and securing federal funds for Arizona's public schools. Advocates for universal full-day kindergarten and affordable higher education, including for Dreamers.

Supports comprehensive immigration reform, increased border security, and resources for border communities. As a House Representative, introduced the Higher Education Dream Act and co-sponsored the Veteran Service Recognition Act.

Believes in strong oversight of military operations and intelligence. As co-chair of the House Baltic Caucus, supports deterring Russian aggression in Europe.

Believes immigration is a personal issue for many Arizonans, benefiting border communities economically and culturally. Supports policies that reflect this understanding.

As a House Representative, introduced the VETS Act to reduce student loan burdens for veterans and supported legislation to increase veteran hiring and benefits for injured or deceased veterans and their families.

Supports comprehensive care for veterans, including housing, education, economic opportunities, and health services. As a House Representative, backed the Honoring Our PACT Act and the Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks Act to improve veterans' healthcare and access to public lands.

The candidate's website says, "Ruben deployed to Iraq as a United States Marine Infantryman in 2005 where his company saw some of the hardest fighting and the heaviest casualties of the Iraq War, losing 22 Marines and a Navy Corpsman in eight months."

The candidate's website says, "In the Senate, he will continue to champion these reforms, and lead the way to a better immigration system for all."

As a House Representative, Ruben Gallego voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in U.S. history, supporting sustainable energy and job creation.

Ruben Gallego is the son of immigrants from Colombia and Mexico, raised by a single mother in Chicago. He grew up in a low-income household, working various jobs to support his family, and earned a spot at Harvard University. Ruben is married to Sydney, with whom he has a son named Michael and a daughter named Isla, and they live in South Phoenix. There is no information provided about the church he attends.

Ruben Gallego is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, having been elected in 2014 to represent Arizona. Prior to his congressional service, he was elected to the Arizona State House in 2010. He has also served as a Chief of Staff for a member of the Phoenix City Council and worked on ballot initiatives in Phoenix. Before his political career, Gallego served as a United States Marine Infantryman.

Ruben Gallego was elected to the Arizona State House in 2010 and has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2014. He is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee, and serves as the Chair of the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States. Additionally, he holds positions as a Democratic Whip, the First Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Vice Chair of the Equality Caucus.

- The US Senator is a member of the United States Senate, the upper house of the United States Congress. There are a total of 100 US Senators. Arizona, like every other US state, has two senators. 
- US Senators have a great deal of power when it comes to bringing the concerns of their state to the national arena. US Senators can author, sponsor, amend, debate, and vote on bills that may become national law. 
- US Senators have an important role in deciding who runs the federal government. They hold confirmation hearings for most presidential appointees, including new Supreme Court Justices and Presidential Cabinet Members.
- Senators can be appointed to committees that focus on particular issues. Examples include the Appropriations Committee, which handles budget planning, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is a diplomatic body that welcomes foreign delegations.
- Senators are elected to six-year terms in statewide elections in staggered years. US Senators are paid a salary of $174,000/year.

One of two federal lawmakers representing Arizona in the US Senate.