Sen. Ruben Gallego’s recent travels to key states have sparked rumors he’s considering running for president.
But the Arizona Democrat, during a campaign swing through New Hampshire last week, said he’s leaning against running in 2028.
“At this point, I don’t think so,” Gallego said during an interview with WMUR in Manchester, New Hampshire. “You know, I have three little kids. I love the work I’m doing. I also love being able to spend time with my kids.”
“But I do have a message that I want the Democrats to listen to,” he added.
So far this year, Gallego has campaigned in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, as well as Iowa, the home of caucuses that are traditionally the first major contest of the presidential primary season. And New Hampshire is the first state in the nation to hold a presidential primary every four years.
Gallego, as he did earlier this year, didn’t officially rule out a run for higher office. But traveling across the country, he said, is an opportunity to connect to working class voters and set an example for Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and the next presidential race in 2028.
Gallego cites his U.S. Senate victory in Arizona, a state that voted overwhelmingly for President Donald Trump a year ago, as evidence he’s got a winning message.
“We can start moving our country back in the right direction, but we have to kind of get out of our comfort zones, and I’m trying to help us get to that point,” he told WMUR.
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