Ruben Gallego emerges as key Democratic figure in Latino voter outreach

Senator Gallego Emerges as Key Democratic Surrogate Following 2024 Election Setbacks

On a balmy Sunday morning in Miami, Senator Ruben Gallego moved with purpose through a Dominican neighborhood, distributing campaign materials for a Democratic mayoral candidate. Speaking in Spanish and introducing himself simply as “Ruben Gallego from Arizona,” he connected directly with churchgoers without the formality his Senate title might impose.

This grassroots campaigning exemplifies why Gallego has rapidly become one of the Democratic Party’s most valuable assets as it attempts to rebuild after losing Latino support in the 2024 presidential election. His fall campaign schedule has been relentless, with appearances in New Jersey, Virginia, and Florida—all supporting Democratic candidates who went on to win their races.

“Ruben Gallego is going to be our not-so-secret, secret weapon,” said Maria Cardona, a Democratic National Committee member and longtime party strategist.

Political observers note that Gallego has maintained one of the busiest travel calendars among potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders, stumping particularly for female candidates in competitive races. His efforts paid dividends in Miami, where Eileen Higgins became the city’s first Democratic mayor in nearly three decades.

Chuck Rocha, who mobilized Latino voters for Bernie Sanders in 2020 and for Gallego’s Senate campaign, explained the senator’s unique appeal: “Ruben brings instant validation not only because his last name is Gallego. He’s risked his life for his country, he grew up in an immigrant household from nothing, and now he’s a U.S. senator. That’s the kind of guy you want standing beside you talking to Latinos.”

The 2024 election saw Donald Trump make significant inroads with Hispanic voters, particularly in Pennsylvania’s Puerto Rican communities, South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, and along Florida’s Interstate 4 corridor. Trump’s messaging on economic issues and border security resonated strongly with these traditionally Democratic voting blocs.

However, recent elections have shown signs of Hispanic voters beginning to shift back toward Democrats, a trend Gallego hopes to accelerate.

“We’re going to places where there’s big Latino populations,” Gallego told The Associated Press during his Miami visit. “Obviously, they swung a little too much in our opinion toward Trump last time, and we want to talk to Democrats and we want to talk to Latinos, we want to talk to candidates about how to get that population back into our corner.”

Gallego’s own electoral performance offers a blueprint for Democratic success. In 2024, he won his Arizona Senate race by more than 2 percentage points, even as Trump carried the state by nearly 6 points. This 8-point outperformance of the top of the ticket demonstrates his crossover appeal.

Part of Gallego’s approach includes acknowledging areas where Trump connected with voters. He credits the former president’s border security measures and his straightforward economic messaging, such as the “no tax on tips” proposal.

“We need to be identified as someone who’s pro-working class,” Gallego has emphasized at campaign events.

What sets Gallego apart is his authentic connection to working-class struggles. Growing up in poverty in Chicago’s predominantly Mexican Little Village neighborhood, he was raised by a single mother after his father was imprisoned for drug dealing. Gallego worked multiple jobs during high school to help support his family before attending Harvard University and later joining the Marines, where he served in Iraq with a unit that suffered heavy casualties.

“All of the Democrats are now talking about affordability, affordability, affordability,” noted Jesse Lehrich, a Democratic strategist tracking potential 2028 candidates. “But how many of those actually know what it feels like to not know where the next rent check is going to come from? Or not know how they’re going to pay for groceries this week?”

Lehrich observes that Gallego’s unpolished authenticity—being “rough around the edges”—may work to his advantage in an era when voters crave genuineness. Unlike some more polished potential candidates like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro or former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Gallego’s approach feels more relatable.

The senator takes pride in defying Washington conventional wisdom, hosting boxing match watch parties and organizing rodeos and lowrider car shows during his campaign—activities some advisers warned might appear condescending to Hispanic supporters.

Democratic strategists also note that Gallego’s rise comes as Republicans appear to be positioning former Senator Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State, for a potential 2028 presidential run. This has heightened concerns within Democratic circles about the party’s historical struggles to elevate Hispanic candidates to national prominence.

Political commentator Xochitl Hinojosa sees Gallego’s strength not just with Latino voters but across the broader battleground state electorate: “I think him winning a very tough seat has catapulted him to the top. Democrats need to think through how we need to think about Latinos if Republicans have a Latino on the ticket and Democrats don’t.”

When asked about his own presidential ambitions for 2028, Gallego remained circumspect, emphasizing his current priorities: “My calculation is I have three kids. And I have six years in the Senate. We’re going to focus on that, and we’re here to help Democrats all across the country, and we’ll see what happens in the future.”