Ruben Gallego facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rubén Gallego
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Official portrait, 2025
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| United States Senator from Arizona |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2025 Serving with Mark Kelly
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| Preceded by | Kyrsten Sinema |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona |
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| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Ed Pastor |
| Succeeded by | Yassamin Ansari |
| Constituency | 7th 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
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| Preceded by | Cloves Campbell Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Norma Muñoz |
| Constituency | 16th district (2011–2013) 27th district (2013–2014) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ruben Marinelarena
November 20, 1979 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
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| Children | 3 |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
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| Years of service | 2000-2006 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
Rubén Marinelarena Gallego (born November 20, 1979) is an American politician and Marine Corps veteran. Since January 3, 2025, he has served as a U.S. Senator for Arizona. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Before becoming a senator, Gallego was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2025. He represented different areas of Arizona during that time. He also served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 2011 to 2014.
Gallego was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2024. He is the first Latino person to be elected to represent Arizona in the United States Senate. He is also one of the first two Colombian-American U.S. senators.
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Early Life and Education
Rubén Gallego was born in Chicago, Illinois. His mother is from Colombia and his father is from Mexico. He was raised by his single mother along with his three sisters.
His family later moved to Evergreen Park, a suburb of Chicago. He graduated from Evergreen Park Community High School. Gallego then attended Harvard College, where he studied government and graduated in 2004.
Early Career and Public Service
Gallego served in the Marines from 2002 to 2006. He was sent to Iraq with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines. During his service, he was a lance corporal. His unit faced difficult combat, and he lost a close friend there.
After his military service, Gallego worked in local politics. In 2007, he managed a successful campaign for a city council candidate in Phoenix. He later became the candidate's chief of staff.
In 2009, he decided to run for the Arizona House of Representatives. He won the election in 2010. As a state lawmaker, he helped pass a bill that allowed veterans living in Arizona to pay in-state tuition for college. He also supported repealing an immigration law in Arizona.
U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a Representative
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In 2014, Gallego decided to run for the United States House of Representatives. He resigned from his state House seat to focus on his campaign. He won the Democratic primary election with nearly half of the votes.
Because his district was mostly Democratic, winning the primary election meant he was very likely to win the general election. He won the general election with a large majority of the votes. He was the second Colombian American to be elected to the U.S. House.
Reelection Campaigns
Gallego was reelected to the U.S. House several times.
- In 2016, he won reelection without facing any opposition in the Democratic primary.
- In 2018, he was reelected with an even larger percentage of the vote.
- In 2020, he was encouraged to run for the U.S. Senate but chose to seek reelection to his House seat instead. He won again without primary opposition.
- In 2022, he ran in a newly drawn district and was reelected.
House Committees and Groups
During his time in the House, Gallego served on important committees.
- He was on the Committee on Armed Services. This committee deals with military matters.
- He was also on the Committee on Natural Resources. This committee handles issues related to land, water, and wildlife.
He was also part of several groups called caucuses, which are groups of lawmakers who share similar interests. These included the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
U.S. Senate
The 2024 Election
In January 2023, Gallego announced he would run for the United States Senate in 2024. The seat was held by Kyrsten Sinema, who was an independent. Many Democrats wanted Gallego to run because they disagreed with some of Sinema's political actions.
Sinema later decided not to run for reelection. Gallego won the Democratic nomination without any opponents. He then faced Republican candidate Kari Lake in the general election.
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During his campaign, Gallego tried to appeal to a wider range of voters. He had been known for his progressive views, but he began to present himself as more moderate. He won the election in November 2024.
Senate Committees
As a U.S. Senator, Gallego serves on several key committees:
- Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: This committee deals with financial services, housing, and urban development.
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: This committee handles energy policy, public lands, and natural resources.
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: This committee oversees government operations and national security.
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs: This committee focuses on issues affecting military veterans.
Political Views
Gallego supports Medicare for All, which is a plan to create a single government-run healthcare system for everyone. He was a member of the Medicare for All Caucus in the House.
He has worked on issues important to Native American communities. In 2020, he co-sponsored a bill to help Native veterans get healthcare. In 2021, he sponsored a bill to provide more funding for Native American veterans at tribal colleges. In 2023, the House passed his bill, the Native American Child Protection Act. This act helps prevent family violence and supports Native American children.
Gallego has been a strong supporter of gun control measures. In 2023, he voted against overturning a law that would allow non-citizens to vote in local elections in Washington, D.C. He also voted to provide support to Israel after an attack in 2023.
Personal Life
On August 7, 2008, Rubén changed his name from Ruben Marinelarena to Ruben Marinelarena Gallego. He did this to honor his mother, Elisa Gallego, who raised him and his siblings.
In 2010, he married Kate Widland Gallego, who later became the mayor of Phoenix. They divorced in 2017 and have one child together.
Gallego married Sydney Barron in 2021. She works as a lobbyist. Gallego and Barron have two children together.
In 2021, Gallego wrote a book with Jim DeFelice called They Called Us "Lucky": The Life and Afterlife of the Iraq War's Hardest Hit Unit. The book is about his experiences serving in the U.S. Marines during the Iraq War. He is Catholic.
Images for kids
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Gallego during the
117th Congress
See also
In Spanish: Ruben Gallego para niños
