Sen.-elect Ruben Gallego announces new child after controversy with leaving pregnant ex-wife
One soon-to-be Arizona Democrat has some explaining to do after he announced that he has a child on the way with his new wife after reportedly "walking out" on his ex-wife while she was pregnant.
According to the Daily Mail, Democratic Arizona Senator-elect Ruben Gallego, 44, announced on X that he will be expecting a third child with his second wife.
The announcement came on the heels of a shocking report that indicated that the senator-elect terminated his last marriage while his wife was still pregnant.
He apparently asked his ex-wife for a divorce just days before she was due to give birth, according to a bombshell report that he reportedly fought legally to keep from going public.
What's going on?
The senator-elect wasn't shy about announcing the new addition to his family.
"We are adding a new member to the Gallego family," he wrote. "Isla and Michael are going to have a new baby brother! Love you Sydney"
His wife, Sydney, shared the post, which included a picture of the baby's ultrasound which appeared to look like a glowing ornament hanging off a Christmas tree. "Even more to be grateful for this year," she wrote.
The post was newsworthy, given the amount of effort he put forth to seal records about his divorce and his pregnant ex-wife, who happened to be the former mayor of Phoenix.
The Daily Mail described the unsealed records:
"They show he allegedly told his ex-wife, current-Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, their marriage was over on December 15, 2016.
Gallego filed a motion to seal the divorce records on the same day he filed them, and has fought with the Washington Free Beacon to keep it that way after the conservative outlet sued for access to the records.
Kate Gallego was reportedly shocked to learn of her then-husband's intentions, and said in court that she was "without knowledge" of his intentions at the time.
Moving fast
It didn't take long for the senator-elect to welcome his first child with his new wife after the divorce was finalized.
The Daily Mail added:
The couple welcomed a son shortly after their divorce was finalized. Just over a year later, Gallego, then-39, says he met his current wife, lobbyist Sydney Barron, 25. They later welcomed a daughter, Isla, in July 2023.
At the time they announced their marriage in 2020, Gallego said he was the "happiest man in the world."
The situation clearly didn't hurt Gallego politically, as he would go on to garner 50% of the vote to then-candidate Kari Lake's 48%.