Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego announces trip to Iowa to address voters about GOP actions

PHOENIX – U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego on Wednesday announced two upcoming appearances in Iowa, fueling speculation that the Arizona Democrat is considering a 2028 presidential run.

Gallego is set to appear at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on Aug. 8 and take part in a Democratic town hall event in Scott County the next day.

Iowa, I’m headed your way. Republicans in Congress slashed your health care and hiked your costs to bankroll billionaires.

Join me August 8-9. Let's fight back. pic.twitter.com/l0eyMqGRVh

— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) July 9, 2025

The Iowa State Fair is famous as a key campaign ground for presidential hopefuls.

Why is Sen. Ruben Gallego traveling to Iowa?

The first-term Arizona senator plans to tell Iowans how they might be impacted by the spending cuts and tax breaks passed by Republicans last week and signed by President Donald Trump.

“Like most Iowans, Ruben Gallego didn’t grow up having things handed to him — he had to work hard and pay his dues. That’s why he’s headed to the Hawkeye State to call out those who backed Trump’s billionaire tax scam at the expense of Iowa’s good, hardworking people,” Raphael Chavez-Fernandez, Gallego’s chief of staff, said in a statement.

“Ruben’s not afraid to say the quiet part out loud: that Iowa families are getting screwed, and Iowans deserve leaders who will fight for them every single day.”

The Midwest trip announcement comes after Gallego participated in a town hall in eastern Pennsylvania in May and spoke during a virtual event with the Alaska Democratic Party last week.

He also unveiled a plan to reform the nation’s immigration system and ensure that the southern border is secure in May.

Will Sen. Ruben Gallego run for president in 2028?

While Gallego just entered the Senate this year after 10 years in the U.S. House, Arizona political analyst Mike O’Neil said it’s not too soon for him to consider a White House run.

“I think Barack Obama changed the rules. … And I think what he proved is that if the moment is right, go for it,” O’Neil told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

Even if Gallego isn’t gearing up for a presidential run, O’Neil said the Arizona senator will boost his profile by appearing in Iowa.

“If you go to Iowa, you benefit from the speculation. … And you use his name and the presidency in the same sentence, it enhances his stature. So, he has very little to lose by this.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Balin Overstolz McNair.

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