Newly unsealed divorce records disclose that U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego initiated divorce proceedings with Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego in 2016. This revelation has emerged amidst his campaign for an open Senate seat in Arizona and Kate Gallego’s bid for reelection as mayor.
The court documents, which included some redactions, reveal that Ruben Gallego claimed the marriage was “irretrievably broken” in December 2016. Both parties confirmed in their filings that there was no domestic violence during their marriage, a requirement in Arizona for cases involving children. They further agreed on a co-parenting arrangement for their son.
According to the court, both parents acknowledged each other’s commitment to their child’s well-being. Comments from an Arizona divorce lawyer characterized the separation as amicable, with the presiding judge describing the case as “one of the most garden variety divorce files” he had encountered.
This perception contrasts sharply with claims made by Gallego’s GOP opponent Kari Lake, who has framed the divorce as scandalous leading up to the election.
In a joint statement following the release of the documents, Ruben and Kate Gallego demanded an apology from Lake for disparaging remarks made about their family, asserting that she falsely labeled Ruben as a “deadbeat dad” who “abandoned his family” shortly before the birth of their son.
“We demand an apology from Kari Lake for lying about our family and the circumstances of our divorce,” the Gallegos stated. They emphasized their commitment to prioritizing their child’s well-being over political disagreements and criticized Lake for exploiting their situation for political gain.
While the Lake campaign did not provide comments on this situation, they denied any involvement in the legal proceedings that led to the unsealing of the divorce records. A conservative news outlet had previously filed a lawsuit to access these documents.
Legal representation for the conservative organization argued in court that prior rulings to seal the records were erroneous. Initially, a judge had determined that the privacy interests of the Gallegos superseded Arizona’s public records policies.
Attorneys for the organization stated that these records were sought to examine the character of public figures involved in federal office campaigns. The Gallegos consistently contested the release of the records, first aiming to prevent any disclosures and then striving to redact sensitive information, particularly related to their son.
The judge who ordered the records unsealed allowed for certain portions to remain redacted, including those related to their son and financial matters, while declaring that the remaining content was available for public access.
The information made public indicates a relatively smooth and amicable separation process, according to an expert in family law, suggesting that many terms were likely agreed upon prior to the formal filing for divorce.
“Very amicable divorces typically follow this process,” she noted.
