Sen. Ruben Gallego announced he’s headed to New Hampshire in August to campaign against the immigration and tax policy bill recently passed by Republicans in Congress.
It’s the latest destination on the Democratic lawmaker’s itinerary of significance — if you’re running for president.
Gallego will be at Saint Anselm College in Manchester for an event with the New Hampshire Institute of Politics on Aug. 22. Later that day, he’ll campaign with New Hampshire Congressman Chris Pappas, who’s running for U.S. Senate, and headline a town hall with Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander in Nashua.
In a statement, Gallego’s campaign says the visit “reflects his core philosophy of going anywhere, talking to anyone, and fighting for working families.”
The statement also notes Gallego was stationed in Londonderry, New Hampshire, for roughly three years while he served in the Marines.
The New Hampshire trip is a fitting bookend to August given Gallego’s other travel plans that month — a stop at the Iowa State Fair weeks earlier.
Like Iowa, Gallego’s trip to New Hampshire signals an interest in running for higher office. New Hampshire is the first state in the nation to hold a presidential primary every four years. That statewide vote is preceded only by the Iowa Caucuses, traditionally the first major contest of the presidential primary season.
The votes in Iowa and New Hampshire are considered a barometer for how a presidential hopeful will perform in other state primaries.
Gallego has said he’s not seriously considering running for president at this time, but hasn’t ruled it out.
