Democratic Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego criticized Democratic messaging at the Iowa State Fair on Friday. His presence in the key state has fueled rumors that Gallego may run for president in 2028.
Gallego’s visit to Iowa is his second visit to a key political state outside of Arizona this year, following a town hall in Pennsylvania.
On Friday, he said a presidential run is “out of the question” as he’s focused on the 2026 midterms.
Gallego said Democrats failed to acknowledge American’s struggles going into the last election.
“Democratic messaging was like things are getting better. You can’t say that to people when they’re living off credit cards. You can’t say that to people who are working double shifts just to make sure they can make the rent and when their older kids are still at home because they can’t afford their own apartment,” Gallego said.
Going forward, Gallego said the party needs a clear identity.
“We moved away from being known, known respected and trusted as taking care of working class people and became this like nebulous idea that like nobody understands who we are,” he said.
In May, Gallego said running for president has crossed his mind, but he’s not thinking about it right now.
Iowa is significant as the first state to hold candidate nominating contests each political cycle, called the Iowa Caucuses.
Historically, the state fair is a place for political hopefuls from across the country make an appearance.
Gallego said Friday that he wanted to speak to other fair attendees about the impacts of the federal budget bull. He's also scheduled to meet with Democrats on the trip.
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