Gallego lands two major Latino endorsements

Civil rights icon Dolores Huerta and the United Farm Workers (UFW), the union she founded alongside Cesar Chavez, on Wednesday endorsed Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) in his Senate bid.

The endorsements of Huerta and the UFW, key players in the birth of Hispanic political power, have special meaning for many Latinos, especially in the Southwest.

“Ruben is a strong advocate for immigration reform and his commitment to improving conditions for workers, especially Latinos, is undeniable,” Huerta said.

Gallego called Huerta “a true civil rights defender and one of our nation’s greatest activists, and a pillar of our community.”

“His tireless advocacy for workers, especially Latinos, has inspired generations, and I am committed to continuing his fight for better opportunities for working families and all Americans,” he said.

Gallego is running to replace Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who flipped her seat to Democrats in 2018 but left the party and became an independent in 2022. She is not running for re-election.

But Gallego’s race has Democrats excited because he is likely to boost turnout among young, rural Hispanic voters in a key presidential election state.

“He is a longtime friend of our union and has always fought to ensure that Arizona workers and immigrants have better wages, fair working conditions and quality opportunities,” said United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero.

“Arizona’s agricultural industry, which supplies the nation with nearly all of its winter lettuce harvest, simply would not be possible without the contributions of hard-working farm workers, the majority of whom are of Latino descent. Arizona’s farmworkers deserve elected officials who know them, care about them, and fight for them. Ruben knows what it means to take on difficult jobs, and Arizonans couldn’t have a better advocate in the U.S. Senate.”

Gallego, who grew up in a union family, said unions “are the backbone of Arizona’s economy, and Arizonans deserve a senator who knows the value of hard work and how to fight for the everyday family.”

He is running against Kari Lake, a hard-line MAGA conservative and former TV journalist who lost the 2022 gubernatorial election to the now-Gov. Katie Hobbs (D).