The Public Gets a Peek into Ruben Gallego's Divorce

Phoenix, Arizona saw a significant development when a court unsealed the divorce files of Democratic Senate candidate Ruben Gallego and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. The records, while now public, shed little light on the marriage or its end. There were no major surprises like allegations of abuse or infidelity, which could have influenced the tight Senate race. The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative news site, requested the records' release. Both Gallego and his ex-wife opposed this, citing their child's privacy and safety. The Arizona Supreme Court declined their emergency request to keep the records sealed, leading to the unsealing. Republican challenger Kari Lake has used the records' release to attack Ruben Gallego's character. She speculated about potential domestic violence, suggesting the Gallegos had something to hide. However, the divorce decree explicitly states there was no domestic violence during the marriage. The Gallegos issued a joint statement demanding an apology from Lake. They stressed their priority was their son's well-being. The divorce file lays out shared parenting and asset division, but most details are redacted. The case was finalized smoothly without extended wrangling over assets or custody. Yavapai County Judge John Napper, who ordered the unsealing, predicted disappointment, calling the case "garden variety. " The Gallegos' marriage's end, just before their first child's birth, surprised many in Arizona's political community. Ruben Gallego has hinted at post-traumatic stress from his Iraq deployment as a contributing factor. Kate Gallego endorsed her ex-husband's Senate campaign, and they appear together publicly with their son. The Gallegos took extreme measures to keep the records private, including filing for divorce in a distant county. The Arizona Court of Appeals and Supreme Court decisions led to the files' eventual unsealing.