Ruben Gallego redefines himself as he seeks Senate promotion in Arizona
PHOENIX — Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego referred to himself as “a true progressive voice in Congress” in a fundraising email in 2022.
PHOENIX — Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego referred to himself as “a true progressive voice in Congress” in a fundraising email in 2022.
In 2018, he rallied alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders in his home state, saying facetiously: “President Trump is going to build a wall. It’s called the progressive wall — it’s all my brothers and sisters holding hands to stop Donald Trump.”
And when Sanders took the stage, he called Gallego and Rep. Raúl Grijalva “two leaders of the progressive movement.”
It’s not a label Gallego, who rose through the political ranks as a liberal firebrand, is embracing the same way now as he runs for Senate.
“I consider myself an Arizona member of Congress who works across the aisle with everybody,” Gallego told NBC News last week when asked if he still identifies as a “progressive.” Last month, Gallego allowed his membership in the Congressional Progressive Caucus to lapse after joining during his first term in Congress, a decision he claims was about finances.
Rating: 5