Democrat wins endorsement from Phoenix mayor — his ex-wife — in bid for Arizona Senate seat

PHOENIX — Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego on Monday endorsed her ex-husband, U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, in his marketing campaign to maneuver as much as the Senate.

The mayor’s choice to publicly again her former husband, whereas not stunning, will assist him blunt criticism for his or her divorce, which occurred weeks earlier than the start of their baby.

Gallego is the one main Democrat in a race that may assist decide management of the U.S. Senate. Incumbent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a former Democrat who left the celebration a 12 months in the past, has not mentioned whether or not she’s going to search a second time period as an unbiased.

Ruben and Kate Gallego are each Democrats who met as undergraduates at Harvard University. Kate, a New Mexico native, moved to Phoenix for a job on John Kerry’s 2004 presidential marketing campaign in Arizona. Ruben, initially from Chicago, joined her after ending a deployment to Iraq as a U.S. Marine.

They had been an influence couple in native Democratic politics. A well-liked Phoenix bar even had a cocktail known as “The Ruben and Kate.” (After their divorce, the menu was modified and every Gallego was given their very own cocktail, The Ruben and The Kate.)

Kari Lake, the possible Republican nominee within the race, has repeatedly attacked Ruben Gallego over the timing of his breakup.

“Arizona women, @RubenGallego abandoned his wife when she was nine-months pregnant with his first child,” she wrote on X, previously often known as Twitter, final week in response to Gallego criticizing her stance on abortion.

They share custody of their 6-year-old son, Michael, who routinely accompanies one or each of his dad and mom to marketing campaign stops and official occasions.

“I’m proud to endorse Ruben because I know first-hand his commitment to building a brighter future for Arizona,” Kate Gallego mentioned in an announcement. As mayor of Phoenix, she leads the fifth-largest metropolis within the United States, a fast-growing metropolis hit arduous by rising temperatures and housing prices.

Ruben and Kate Gallego have mentioned little publicly about their choice to separate up in 2016, which each have mentioned was a “private matter.” Ruben Gallego remarried in 2021.