When a politician heads to the Iowa State Fair, it generally means one of two things: They either love corn dogs or they are testing the waters for a possible presidential run.
While the rest of the U.S. Senate will go on its annual break in August, Arizona freshman Ruben Gallego is heading to Des Moines to meet with middle America to potentially gauge his chances in what is expected to be a crowded field of Democratic contenders.
In May 2025, in another out-of-state appearance, Gallego held a town hall in suburban Philadelphia where he rolled out his stand-alone blueprint on border security and immigration for anyone who might be interested in what he thinks.
But his scheduled trip to America’s heartland for the fair and a town hall stands as the latest and most significant sign yet that he is seriously considering a run for the White House.
This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl are joined by Des Moines Register politics reporter Brianne Pfannensteil. She joins the podcast to talk through what this trip means, if stopping at the Iowa State Fair is still a strong indicator of who is interested in the White House spot and how voters outside of Arizona view the senator.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Is Sen. Gallego eyeing a run for president in 2028?