(Radio Iowa) – Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego says his three-day visit to Iowa is to help reinvigorate Democrats here and reshape his party’s message. “The problems that Democrats had can’t really be laid at one person,” Gallego said. “It was something I think that’s happened over the decades where we moved away from being known, respected and trusted as taking care of working class people and became this, like, nebulous idea that nobody understands who we are.” Gallego says that must change as soon as possible. Gallego talked to workers at the J-B-S meatpacking plant in Marshalltown early this (Friday) morning and he’s spending much of the rest of the day at the Iowa State Fair.

Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego )(on right) with Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart and former chair Ross Wilburn at the 2025 Iowa State Fair. (RI photo)

As Gallego was speaking with reporters, protesters carrying posters featuring Gallego’s criticism of the Iowa Democratic Party’s 2020 Caucuses arrived. “I’m a mature adult now and what I said then was dumb of me,” Gallego said. “…In 2020, a lot of us were very frustrated with the results and whatever happens in the future, it’s going to be left up to the DNC, but the Democrats do need to compete in rural America and, you know, Iowa needs to be part of that key no matter what.”

Pete Buttigieg won the 2020 Caucuses, but results were delayed for days due to a glitchy smart phone app. Gallego, who is 48, says he’s not in Iowa to lay the groundwork for a campaign of his own. “I will definitely be back to help any Democrat in 2026 and 2028 because Iowa should be in play,” Gallego said.

Gallego is a retired Marine who served in combat in Iraq. He was elected to the U-S House in 2014 and won a seat in the U-S Senate last November.