Ruben Gallego

Ruben Gallego
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Arizona's 7th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded by Ed Pastor
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
from the 16th district
In office
January 10, 2011 – March 14, 2014
Preceded by Cloves Campbell
Succeeded by Norma Muñoz
Personal details
Born Ruben Marinelarena
(1979-11-20) November 20, 1979
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s)
Kate Gallego
(m. 2010; div. 2017)
Education Harvard University (BA)
Website House website
Military service
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch  United States Marine Corps
Years of service 2000–2006
Rank Corporal
Unit United States Marine Corps Reserve
Battles/wars Iraq War

Ruben Marinelarena Gallego /ˈruːbən ˌɡaɪˈɛɡoʊ/ (born November 20, 1979) is an American politician who is the U.S. Representative for Arizona's 7th congressional district. A Democrat, he previously served as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, serving as assistant minority leader in the Arizona House of Representatives from 2012 until his resignation to run for Congress. Gallego was elected to Congress in the 2014 midterm congressional elections. His district includes most of southern, western, and downtown Phoenix, along with a portion of Glendale.

Personal life

Gallego was born in Chicago[1] and is a first generation American of Colombian and Mexican descent.[2]

Along with his three sisters, he was raised by a single mother.[3] On August 7, 2008, Ruben Marinelarena changed his name to Ruben Marinelarena Gallego to honor his single mother.[4]

Gallego was married to Kate Gallego, a member of the Phoenix City Council, before their 2017 divorce.

Gallego currently sits on the boards of Valley Citizens League, and the President’s Community Advisory Board for South Mountain Community College.[5]

Career

After graduating from Harvard University, Gallego joined the Marines but did not receive an officers commission. After completing infantry training, he deployed to Iraq with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment. 3/25 would lose 46 Marines and two Navy corpsmen between January 2005 and January 2006, according to the Marine Corps official website.[3]

Gallego lost his best friend in combat in Iraq.[3] His desire to help fellow veterans motivated the formerly apolitical Gallego to get involved with politics.[6]

In 2011, he was named as a distinguished freshman lawmaker by The Arizona Republic.[7] Gallego's first successful bill granted in-state tuition status to veterans residing in Arizona.[3] Gallego supports the repeal of Arizona SB 1070. He considers education to be the most important long-term priority for Arizona.[8] In 2012, Gallego was elected assistant minority leader.[9]

He founded the group Citizens for Professional Law Enforcement, with the goal of recalling Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Gallego cited Arpaio's immigration policies and his use of taxpayer money to investigate Barack Obama's citizenship as reasons for recalling Arpaio.[10]

Gallego worked for Strategies 360 as Director of Latino and New Media operations. He also worked for Riester, one of the largest public relations firms in Arizona, and for Phoenix Councilman Michael Nowakowski.[11]

Political Positions

Marijuana

Gallego is also a very strong supporter of drug legalization. In a letter to the U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Gallego stated "I support full legalization of marijuana. As a member of the Arizona legislature, I introduced a bill that would have legalized marijuana possession and regulated and taxed marijuana in our state in a manner similar to alcohol. I wholly support these types of measures."[12]

U.S. House of Representatives

Gallego's freshman portrait

2014 Election

Gallego introducing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a campaign event in Phoenix.

On February 27, 2014, Gallego announced his candidacy for U.S. Congress in Arizona's 7th congressional district.[13] Gallego resigned from the Arizona House in March 2014.[14] He was not required to give up his seat under Arizona's resign-to-run laws, since he was in the final year of his state house term.

Mayday PAC, a super PAC seeking to reduce the role of money in politics, announced its endorsement of Gallego because of his impressive evolution on the issue of campaign finance reform.[15] On February 28, 2013 Gallego voted against an amendment that sought to raise campaign finance limits for federal candidates and abolish all limits for state candidates, HB 2523.[16] He has since been a vocal supporter of the Government By the People Act.[17]

Gallego won a five-way Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic, majority-Latino district—with 48.9 percent of the vote. He breezed to victory in November with 74 percent of the vote.

He is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.[18]

Committee assignments, 115th Congress

Gallego is a member of the House Baltic Caucus,[24] the Congressional Arts Caucus[25] and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.[26]

Electoral history

Arizona House of Representatives 16th District Democratic Primary Election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ruben Gallego 4,149 26.12
Democratic Catherine Miranda 3,476 21.88
Democratic Cloves Campbell 3,182 20.03
Democratic Jim Munoz, Jr. 2,281 14.36
Democratic Sandra Gonzales 1,955 12.31
Democratic Cristy Lopez 842 5.30
Arizona House of Representatives 16th District Election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Catherine Miranda 19,197 39.46
Democratic Ruben Gallego 18,365 37.75
Republican Michael Gular 8,551 17.58
Green Angel Torres 2,532 5.21
Arizona House of Representatives 27th District Election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Catherine Miranda (inc.) 28,683 40.98
Democratic Ruben Gallego (inc.) 27,522 39.32
Republican Daniel Coleman 10,088 14.41
Green Angel Torres 3,702 5.29
Arizona's 7th Congressional District Democratic Primary Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ruben Gallego 14,936 48.90
Democratic Mary Rose Wilcox 11,077 36.27
Democratic Randy Camacho 2,330 7.63
Democratic Jarrett Maupin 2,199 7.20
Arizona's 7th Congressional District Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ruben Gallego 54,235 74.85
Libertarian Joe Cobb 10,715 14.79
Americans Elect Rebecca DeWitt 3,858 5.32
Independent José Peñalosa 3,496 4.83
Republican/Write-in Gary Dunn 129 0.18
Democratic/Write-in Gustavo Ortega 17 0.02
Independent/Write-in Samuel Esquivel 4 0.01
Arizona's 7th Congressional District Election, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ruben Gallego (Inc.) 119,465 75.2
Republican Eve Nunez 39,286 24.7
N/A Write-in 60 0

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Guide to the New Congress" (PDF). Roll Call. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Ruben Gallego Is Sworn In As Representative From Arizona's 7th Congressional District". Congressman Ruben Gallego. January 7, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Lopatin, Shari (September 2011). "Marine Turned Politician". Phoenix Magazine. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  4. ↑ "This Arizona candidate changed his name. His opponent wasn't happy about it". Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Representative Ruben Gallego". Arizona State Legislature. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Ambition, Life Experience Driving State Representative". South Mountain District News. May 31, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  7. ↑ Pitzl, Mary Jo (May 21, 2011). "Arizona House and Senate distinguished freshmen". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Candidate Q and A: Ruben Gallego". AZCentral.com. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Democrats select leaders in Arizona House, Senate". My Fox Memphis. November 13, 2012. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  10. ↑ Celock, John (September 25, 2012). "Joe Arpaio Opponents Form Super PAC To Unseat Arizona Sheriff". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Ruben Gallego". Strategies 360. Archived from the original on July 9, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  12. ↑ Gallego, Ruben. "Rep. Ruben Gallego Statement on Changes to DOJ Marijuana Enforcement Policies". Votesmart.com. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  13. ↑ "Ruben Gallego, Arizona State Rep., Announces Bid For Congress". Huffington Post. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Rep. Gallego resigns from Arizona House". Arizona Capitol Times. March 14, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  15. ↑ Sullivan, Sean (August 11, 2014). "A leading 'anti-super PAC' just backed three more candidates for Congress". Washington Post. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  16. ↑ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Ruben Gallego - Gallego For Arizona". Archived from the original on November 18, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Members". Congressional Progressive Caucus. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces". Office of the Clerk. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Committee Information". Office of the Clerk. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Subcommittee on Federal Lands". Office of the Clerk.
  22. ↑ "Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations". Office of the Clerk. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs". Office of the Clerk. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Members". House Baltic Caucus. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  25. ↑ "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  26. ↑ "Members". Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Ed Pastor		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Arizona's 7th congressional district
2015–present		 Incumbent
Current U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Tom Emmer
R-Minnesota		 United States Representatives by seniority
329th		 Succeeded by
Garret Graves
R-Louisiana
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