Ballotpedia, Ruben Gallego

AZ Central, Who is Ruben Gallego? What to know about the Democratic candidate in Arizona's Senate race

Candidate website

Supports bringing high-paying jobs to Arizona and aiding small businesses through increased funding and tax deductions. As a House Representative, voted for the CHIPS and Science Act to create semiconductor manufacturing jobs.

Wants to bring high-paying jobs and help small businesses.

Supports raising the minimum wage to $15/hour and empowering workers to organize and collectively bargain.

Supports raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and workers' rights to organize and collectively bargain.

Believes billionaires and corporations should pay their fair share by ending tax loopholes and exorbitant giveaways.

Plans to address tax loopholes to ensure people "pay their fair share."

Believes Wall Street bankers and big corporations are getting richer while everyday people are being squeezed. Supports building an economy that works for everyone and makes life affordable for hard-working families.

Wants to "build an economy that works for everyone, and makes life affordable for hard-working families."

- Wants to bring high-paying jobs and help small businesses.
- Supports raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and workers' rights to organize and collectively bargain.
- Plans to address tax loopholes to ensure people "pay their fair share."
- Wants to "build an economy that works for everyone, and makes life affordable for hard-working families."

Economy

Supports expanding Medicaid and opposes the privatization of Medicare.

Believes in lowering health care costs and ensuring access to high-quality health care for all Arizonans. As a House Representative, led efforts on prescription drug reform.

Wants to lower health care costs and pass prescription drug reforms.

The candidate's website says, "As your Senator, Ruben will continue to champion the right to choose—starting by waiving the filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade."

Supports abortion and wants to put Roe v. Wade into law.

Believes in protecting women's health care and sensitive medical data. As a House Representative, co-sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act and the My Body, My Data Act.

Believes in protecting women's health care providers and sensitive medical data. 

Believes in improving access to quality healthcare for tribal communities. As a House Representative, sponsored legislation to support Urban Indian Health Organizations and the Indian Health Service.

Plans to improve access to quality healthcare for tribal communities.

Believes "health care is a human right" and that the current system is "unacceptable" for not providing high-quality, comprehensive care to all Arizonans.

Said, "Health care is a human right, and in the wealthiest nation on the planet, it is unacceptable that high-quality, comprehensive health care is not accessible for all Arizonans."

- Supports expanding Medicaid and opposes the privatization of Medicare.
- Wants to lower health care costs and pass prescription drug reforms.
- Supports abortion and wants to put Roe v. Wade into law.
- Believes in protecting women's health care providers and sensitive medical data. 
- Plans to improve access to quality healthcare for tribal communities.
- Said, "Health care is a human right, and in the wealthiest nation on the planet, it is unacceptable that high-quality, comprehensive health care is not accessible for all Arizonans."

Healthcare

Plans to codify voting rights bills into law to protect the right to vote.

Supports improving voting access for Native Americans with disabilities through the PAVA Program Inclusion Act.

Wants to improve voting access for Native Americans.

Believes extremist GOP legislators are "actively suppressing the vote" and attempting to overturn free and fair elections. Said, "American democracy is at an inflection point," and supports leaders who understand these challenges.

Said, "Extremist GOP legislators in Arizona and across the country are actively suppressing the vote and attempting to overturn the results of free and fair elections."

- Plans to codify voting rights bills into law to protect the right to vote.
- Wants to improve voting access for Native Americans.
- Said, "Extremist GOP legislators in Arizona and across the country are actively suppressing the vote and attempting to overturn the results of free and fair elections."

Voting & Elections

As a House Representative, led efforts to address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) and improve tribal law enforcement through the BADGES in Native Communities Act.

Advocates for improved tribal law enforcement and addressing missing and murdered indigenous women.

- Advocates for improved tribal law enforcement and addressing missing and murdered indigenous women.

Public Safety

Supports universal kindergarten and making sure every child has access to high quality, full day kindergarten.

Believes investing in educators is essential to improving student outcomes. As a House Representative, introduced the Teachers LEAD Act to support teachers and improve retention.

Believes investing in educators is important in improving student outcomes. 

Supports expanding access to education from early childhood to college, including universal full-day kindergarten, increased public school funding, and affordable higher education.

Advocates for increased public school funding and affordable higher education.

Believes in strong public schools, career and technical training, and affordable higher education for all Arizona children. Plans to advocate for these educational opportunities in the Senate.

Believes in strong public schools, affordable higher education, and vocational training for all children. Plans to advocate for these educational opportunities in the Senate.

Believes education can transform lives and supports equal educational opportunities for all children. As a Congressman, works to provide transformative educational opportunities that helped him achieve the American Dream.

- Supports universal kindergarten and making sure every child has access to high quality, full day kindergarten.
- Believes investing in educators is important in improving student outcomes. 
- Advocates for increased public school funding and affordable higher education.

Education

Supports comprehensive veterans' benefits, including housing, education, and health care, and advocates for policies aiding veterans exposed to toxic substances. As a former Veterans’ Affairs Committee member, sponsored legislation to protect veterans' compensation rights.

Supports comprehensive veterans' benefits, including housing, education, and health care.

Advocates for funding to hire more border patrol agents.

Supports providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and children  under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Believes America can lead globally and "stand up to enemies of democracy." Supports Arizona's role through military communities, innovative manufacturing, and world-class universities.

Believes America can lead globally and "stand up to enemies of democracy" through military communities, manufacturing, and quality universities.

Believes border communities face a serious crisis and supports securing borders, reforming immigration, and stopping fentanyl flow. Plans to ensure a prosperous cross-border economy.

Said, "We need smart ways to keep our border secure, allow for a prosperous cross-border economy, reform a broken immigration system, and stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities."

- Supports comprehensive veterans' benefits, including housing, education, and health care.
- Advocates for funding to hire more border patrol agents.
- Supports providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and children  under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
- Believes America can lead globally and "stand up to enemies of democracy" through military communities, manufacturing, and quality universities.
- Said, "We need smart ways to keep our border secure, allow for a prosperous cross-border economy, reform a broken immigration system, and stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities."

Foreign Policy and Immigration

Supports preserving public lands and expanding access to national parks, especially for veterans and Gold Star families. As a House Representative, led efforts to protect areas like the Grand Canyon from industry exploitation.

Advocates for preserving public lands and expanding access to national parks.

Believes water is a top priority for Arizona's future and supports efforts to combat urban heat and ensure water availability.

Believes in protecting public lands and the environment for future generations. Supports preserving natural beauty, such as the Grand Canyon and Humphreys Peak.

Believes a safe and healthy future for families depends on sustainable water access. Plans to fight for this access as Arizona’s next Senator.

Believes in protecting Arizona's water resources. Supports environmental policies to ensure sustainable water management.

- Advocates for preserving public lands and expanding access to national parks.
- Believes water is a top priority for Arizona's future and supports efforts to combat urban heat and ensure water availability.

Energy & the Environment

As of June 19, 2024, Ruben Gallego’s website did not contain information on this issue.

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Ruben Gallego

- The US Senator is a member of the United States Senate, the upper house of the United States Congress. There are a total of 100 US Senators. Arizona, like every other US state, has two senators. 
- US Senators have a great deal of power when it comes to bringing the concerns of their state to the national arena. US Senators can author, sponsor, amend, debate, and vote on bills that may become national law. 
- US Senators have an important role in deciding who runs the federal government. They hold confirmation hearings for most presidential appointees, including new Supreme Court Justices and Presidential Cabinet Members.
- Senators can be appointed to committees that focus on particular issues. Examples include the Appropriations Committee, which handles budget planning, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is a diplomatic body that welcomes foreign delegations.
- Senators are elected to six-year terms in statewide elections in staggered years. US Senators are paid a salary of $174,000/year.