Washington-o Senator Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., He is used to conveying his message on the road in a state of balance. But now Gallego, a first-term senator, recently performed his victory last year, is going away from home to talk to voters in Pennsylvania, the presidential state of battle par excellence.
Gallego is scheduled to participate in a city hall on Bucks County, a balance area outside Philadelphia that Donald Trump went through a few hundred votes last year.
It is the kind of movement that will feed speculation about Gallego as a candidate for the presidency, as the Democratic Party desperately seeks its way forward. And while he said his message on Pennsylvania will focus on more immediate issues, such as preserving Medicaid and retreating against Trump’s tariffs, Gallego has not closed the door in the possibility.
“This is an earthly mine,” Gallego said in an interview when asked if he competed for presidency has passed his mind. “Have you been through my head?
Gallego said he received incentive from his party members to seek an offer from the White House in 2028.
“Great donors, large organizations, well -known large democratic political agents that encouraged me to run. I’m not denying it,” he said.
But he insisted that the next presidential race was “neither near the radar of me thinking about making it.” Gallego noted that his wife is expecting a baby next month and that he has been in his current position for just a few months.
“I just told you about my third child. I’m just a brand new senator,” he said. “I need to do both both jobs, and these are two very difficult jobs. Being the father is the hardest.”
Gallego’s profile increased during his competitive Senate race last year, when he surpassed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in his victory against Lake Kari Republican. While the Democrats lost ground among Latin voters nationally – Men in particular – Gallego did much better than Harris.
Gallego, who previously represented a district of the Phoenix Congress, has a unique profile as a 45 -year -old Latin Marine Veteran with a working class that he thinks can help Democrats reach groups of Americans who have moved away from the party in recent years.
“They want to know that there is a message that Democrats can deliver that they can bring the party back to a winning situation back to the working class, because that’s where we are really receiving and losing votes,” he said about why the Pennsylvanians want to hear from him. “I think I can bring it, I think, also more about the personal level – how, I am the person who worked in these difficult jobs and had to find out how to survive, how to tie some salaries, to pay rent and everything. And I think people want to hear the democrats like me.”
Gallego is one of several potential democratic presidential candidates who have stood out in recent weeks.
Last month, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker gave a speech in New Hampshire, one of the first presidential primary states. Deputy Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., joined forces with Senator Bernie Sanders, I-VT., To cross the country for a “combat oligarchy” tour. Others, such as Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and California governor Gavin Newsom showed their willingness to cross the corridor talking to Trump and his allies at meetings and podcasts.
During his Senate campaign, Gallego emphasized the economy and broke with many democrats, pressuring for a more rigorous application – an area that he says the party has not yet improved enough since the 2024 elections.
“I think there are still many elements in our party that take a very unstable reaction to border safety and think that any kind of border security is somehow agreeing with the right, when, in fact, the base Democratic voter has a more subtle and mainstream position than Republicans,” he said.
Illegal border crosses fell during the beginning of the second Trump administration, a development that Gallego praised. Attempts to cross the southwest border in March were just over 11,000, below a 302,000 increase in December 2023.
“I think it’s good that we have border crossings at the lowest possible point,” he said. “What I think is bad is that I don’t find the way he’s doing sustainable.”
Latin men in Arizona are returning to the Democrats, Gallego argued, saying they are angry with the economy and deportations. But the next time voters who divided their tickets to 2024 between Trump and Gallego voted, “they will have to believe that Democrats will be safely at the borders, sound in immigration reform,” he said.
The City Hall, organized by the State Democratic Party in the Brian Fitzpatrick district, will focus on potential Cuts in Medicaid that Republicans are considering when creating a bill for Trump’s agenda. It is part of the party’s broader boost to keep municipalities in what it sees as vulnerable districts of republicans.
Some Pennsylvania Democrats receive Gallego’s visit.
“I think it’s great,” said Deputy Brendan Boyle, who represents a district of the neighboring Philadelphia region that One Gallego is visiting. “Ruben is one of my closest friends in Congress. He is a genuine person who connects with people.”