Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego is making his first moves toward a potential 2028 presidential campaign.
This weekend, he's heading to Iowa while openly discussing the possibility of running for the White House.
Although, there has been recent upbringings of his old statements regarding Iowa and this could jeopardize their stance on potential presidential candidacy.
Iowa GOP has taken to social media exposing Gallego: “Arizona Senator @RubenGallego is coming to Iowa this week. Here’s a reminder of what he really thinks about our great state ⬇️” (showing old tweets).
The 45-year-old senator has rarely appeared in early speculation about the Democratic lineup and is one of the least funded possible candidates.
But his trip to Iowa, followed by planned visits to New Hampshire later this month, represents a classic strategy for building national recognition.
Gallego is a Latino and a military veteran from Arizona. His recent Senate victory in 2024 was particularly impressive, coming during a tough election cycle.
Gallego was immediately brought up in discussions regarding the party's future after his victory.
The website "Gallego for America" was even registered 10 days after the election, indicating that a national candidacy was being seriously considered.
However, the data presents a difficult outlook. Since January, Democrats have been asked about their preferences for 2028 in 26 national polls. Only seven of them contained Gallego's name. He scored less than that five times and twice touched 1% support after being added.
Early campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire is common, according to Tim Hagle, a political science professor at the University of Iowa who has observed the state's caucuses for years. This is particularly true for candidates who are neither current governors or former vice presidents.
"For you folks that aren't in Iowa, you think that the presidential cycle begins like a year out," Hagle explains.
Regarding 2028, democrats will have many choices. Candidates like Gallego must begin establishing their campaigns now if they wish to fight when it counts because the race is anticipated to be competitive.
