Divorce records for Arizona’s Democratic Senate candidate Ruben Gallego and his ex-wife, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, were made public on Thursday after an Arizona court unsealed most of the seven-year-old case file. The records offer little insight into the high-profile marriage or the reasons it fell apart, with no allegations of abuse or infidelity that could have affected Arizona’s closely watched Senate race, pivotal in determining control of the upper chamber of Congress.
The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative news site, successfully petitioned for the release of the records, a move opposed by both Ruben and Kate Gallego who cited concerns about their child’s safety and privacy. The Arizona Supreme Court declined the Gallegos’ request to keep the records private, leading to their unsealing. GOP nominee Kari Lake has used the release of the records to question Ruben Gallego’s character, insinuating that there may be crucial details about the divorce that could impact his candidacy.
Despite Lake’s claims, the divorce decree signed by both Gallegos includes a statement asserting that there was no domestic violence during the marriage. In a joint statement, the Gallegos condemned Lake’s attempts to sensationalize their divorce, emphasizing their focus on their seven-year-old son’s well-being. Kate Gallego endorsed her ex-husband’s Senate campaign last year, and the couple continues to appear together in public, often with their son.
The details within the publicly released records mainly outline the shared parenting and custody plan for their son, who was born during the divorce proceedings, and the division of assets, although many specifics were redacted. The case was finalised without any indications of disputes over assets or custody arrangements, with the judge remarking that it was a standard divorce case.
The Gallegos’ separation before the birth of their first child in 2016 caused a stir in the Arizona political landscape. The privacy surrounding the divorce records has posed a challenge for Ruben Gallego’s Senate campaign, with both parties maintaining that it is a private matter. Ruben Gallego has hinted that post-traumatic stress disorder from his military service may have played a role in the divorce.
Efforts to keep the records private included filing the divorce petition in Yavapai County and requesting the case file to be sealed by a judge, a move that was deemed inappropriate. The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled in favour of unsealing the records, and the state Supreme Court declined to intervene. Despite pressures from political opponents, the Gallegos have stood firm on prioritising their son’s well-being and maintaining their privacy amidst public scrutiny.