Ruben Gallego gets Senate endorsement from his ex-wife, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego
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Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego is endorsing her ex-husband, Ruben Gallego, in the race for Arizona's U.S. Senate seat in 2024, the campaign said.
In a statement shared with The Arizona Republic, the Phoenix mayor praised Gallego, a Democrat who represents Arizona in Congress.
"I'm proud to endorse Ruben because I know first-hand his commitment to building a brighter future for Arizona," wrote the Phoenix mayor, who took office in 2019.
"We have real challenges facing our state that require a leader who is dedicated to fighting for working families and the most vulnerable. He'll do an excellent job working for all of us as our next senator."
The Senate candidate wrote in turn, "On top of being an incredible leader in our community, Kate is the best mom that our son could ask for and I'm truly honored to have her support."
The Gallegos were married in 2010 and announced their separation in December 2016. Their son, Michael, was born in early 2017.
Ruben Gallego is now the presumptive Democratic nominee in the race.
Gallego's leading Republican challenger is Kari Lake, an ally of former President Donald Trump and a failed gubernatorial candidate who rose to prominence sowing doubt in the integrity of U.S. elections.
Lake has attempted to use Gallego's first marriage against him in recent weeks, noting that he left his ex-wife just before she gave birth to their child.
Incumbent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who last year switched her official party affiliation from Democratic to independent, has not yet announced whether she will run for re-election. If so, it would set up a historic three-way contest in 2024.
Shortly after Sinema switched her party affiliation, speculation rose that Kate Gallego would launch her candidacy for the Senate seat, but she told media soon after that she had no plans to run.
The contest is highly watched nationwide as it is one of several that will decide the partisan tilt of the U.S. Senate.
Laura Gersony is a national politics reporter for The Arizona Republic.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego endorses Ruben Gallego for Senate
