Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego visits Iowa State Fair

Gallego is talking about Medicaid cuts with Iowans, potentially in an effort to boost his stature among national Democrats.

US Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona arrives in Iowa this week in an effort to reach out to Democrat voters in the state.

“I’m fighting for a future where health care is affordable and within reach. Where jobs pay with dignity. Where no parent has to choose between paying the power bill and putting food on the table. Where hard work actually pays off,” Gallego wrote in a letter published in the Des Moines Register.

Gallego criticized Iowa’s own US Sen. Joni Ernst and US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks for their support of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which will cut Medicaid spending by $1.3 trillion, stripping Medicaid coverage from an estimated 86,000 Iowans. He expressed frustration at their reactions to some Iowans’ concerns, stating both “gave up on Iowa.”

“That’s why I’m coming to Iowa,” Gallego said. “Not just to hold those accountable and call out what’s gone wrong, but to fight for what’s still possible.”

Gallego wrote that his intention in traveling to Iowa is to garner support amongst Democratic voters. His visit to the Iowa State Fair is a common one for politicians hoping to raise their national profile.

Born to immigrant parents in Chicago, Gallego and his three sisters were raised by a single mother, and the family relied on government assistance programs to stay afloat. Gallego eventually became a first-generation college student, graduating from Harvard University in 2004. Gallego later enlisted in the Marine Corps and served in the Iraq War.

In 2010, Ruben was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives, where he pushed for Medicaid expansion and securing in-state tuition assistance for veterans. Gallego won a seat in the US House of Representatives in 2014, and became the highest-ranking Latino on the House Armed Services committee.

On Jan. 3, 2025, Gallego was officially sworn in as a US senator for Arizona after having defeated  Republican nominee Kari Lake.

Gallego arrives at the Iowa State Fair on Friday, but will also hold a town hall meeting in Scott County on Thursday,  hosted by the Iowa Democratic Party and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.