Senator Ruben Gallego has revealed he is considering a presidential run and has offered advice for how Democrats can win in 2028.
“Obviously, like any other elected official, especially ones that won red states in 2024, we have to look at it,” the Arizona senator told NBC News.
Gallego, a Marine veteran, became the first Latino senator to represent the state after he defeated Trump ally Kari Lake in 2024.
“No matter who runs, even if it’s not me, the candidate that wins in 2028 is going to have to get the Latino vote back to at least 62 percent. That is the ‘Pass Go’ line, collect $200 on the Monopoly board. We didn’t hit that in 2024 and that’s why we find ourselves in this situation,” he added.
During the 2024 election, President Trump received a record share of the vote from Latino Americans, receiving 48 percent of the bloc.
While his hold on the bloc has since plummeted, for Gallego, 2024 was a clear sign that Democrats have lost ground on a segment of the electorate they once counted on.
“If you want this country to do better and be best, and you want to be the best in the world, then you need to invest in Latinos,” Gallego said at the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association annual banquet on Thursday.
“We are the future, we are the population, we are the market, we are the workers, we are the consumer.”
About a dozen GOP-controlled House seats may flip to Democrats, Bloomberg News reports, largely due to their significant Hispanic populations. The GOP is predicted to lose the House in the November midterms.
Gallego believes Democrats can secure the Latino vote by focusing on making the American dream more accessible and ditching “abolish ICE” rhetoric that has become popular in some segments of the party, calling instead for reform.
“If you talk to working-class Latinos, we’re very, unfortunately, we have too much experience with immigration. We know there needs to be an immigration force that deports bad people,” the senator said.
However, despite dropping hints, Gallego remains uncommitted to a run at this time.
“I have three kids — for now. We’re a young family. We might want to have more. I have to look at it to make sure that I’m actually going to be good at it,” said the 46-year-old, adding, “If someone else can win this, then there’s no reason for me to be egotistical about this.”
