Congressman Gallego Takes Paternity Leave After Daughter’s Birth

(Bloomberg) -- Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego has a newborn daughter and wants the world to know he is taking a break from a fiercely competitive campaign to oust an incumbent senator so he can spend time with her.

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The five-term House lawmaker’s announcement Friday that he is taking paternity leave — and his campaign’s decision to immediately trumpet the choice to supporters in a fund-raising appeal — underscore the rapidly changing politics of parental leave in the US.

Polling indicates the majority of Americans now supports paid family medical leave, an issue that once was championed only by the left.

“No parent should have to choose between being there for their newborn and returning to work,” Gallego said in a Friday statement. “That’s why we must break the stigma and fight for federal solutions that allow all parents to take the leave they deserve.”

Gallego is one of only a few congressmen to take paternity leave. Democrat Colin Allred, who represents Texas, was the first known House member to publicly take paternity leave in 2019.

Family leave — particularly for fathers — still isn’t universally supported. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was slammed by right-wing leaders for taking paternity leave in 2021 after adopting twins.

Gallego has made support for working families a central point of his 2024 campaign, which is expected to pit him against incumbent Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic party in December to become an independent.

Sinema, a critical swing vote for Democrats in the Senate, hasn’t said whether she will run for reelection.

Gallego raised more than $3.8 million in the first three months of 2023, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi headlined a Gallego fundraiser last month, although the California Democrat has not officially endorsed him.

Gallego is a member of the Congressional Dad’s Caucus, founded by California congressman Jimmy Gomez, which promotes itself as advancing policies to support working families.

Only about 23% of workers in the private sector have access to paid family leave, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated in 2021.

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