Kari Lake Gets Unexpected ‘October Surprise’ Boost In Senate Race
Kari Lake’s Senate campaign took an unexpected twist today after a bombshell court ruling unveiled sealed divorce records from her opponent’s past.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), who filed for divorce from his then-wife, Kate Gallego, in 2016, lost a drawn-out legal fight to keep the details private. The Washington Free Beacon won a 10-month court battle, leading to the Arizona Supreme Court’s denial of Gallego’s final appeal to keep the records sealed.
In his 2016 court memorandum, Gallego stated that Kate Gallego “had not yet been served” with divorce papers, and “her attorney entered an appearance” hadn’t occurred yet, adding that she was “likely to give birth any day,” according to The Washington Free Beacon. The divorce petition claimed the “parties’ marriage is irretrievably broken” and that there was “no reasonable prospect of reconciliation.”
Despite this, it appears that Kate Gallego was surprised by the filing. In her February 2017 response, she stated she was “without knowledge of information sufficient to form a belief” that the marriage was beyond repair, disputing her then-husband’s claim.
In essence, Kate Gallego, who was serving as a Phoenix city councilwoman at the time, was very pregnant when she was blindsided by the divorce papers, The Free Beacon noted.
The court documents also show that Ruben Gallego sought to have his wife cover court costs, citing an Arizona law that allows for such awards. In response, Kate Gallego requested the court to order her husband to contribute to her legal fees and costs, according to her February 2017 filing.
Initially, Ruben Gallego also tried to prevent any claims for “long-term spousal maintenance,” urging the court to declare that “neither party is in need of nor entitled to an award of long-term spousal maintenance.” Although Kate initially sought spousal support, she later withdrew her claim, agreeing that both were financially independent. The divorce was finalized in April 2017.
While divorce records in Arizona are public, Ruben Gallego argued that his case should be treated differently since “each party is a high-profile public official,” and media scrutiny would be intense. Nevertheless, on Wednesday, the Arizona Supreme Court rejected the Gallegos’ request to keep redacted records confidential while they appealed earlier rulings.
The release of these records brings unwanted personal attention to Ruben Gallego during a critical phase of his Senate race against Republican Kari Lake. Gallego has consistently cited his post-traumatic stress disorder from serving in the Iraq War as a significant factor in his divorce.
Lake commented on the “Broomhead Show” Wednesday, suggesting that the divorce records contain “some damning information” about her opponent, adding, “We don’t know the truth about Ruben.”
Just over a year later, according to his own account, Gallego met 25-year-old Sydney Barron at the congressional baseball game. His timeline of events has varied. In his book They Called Us Lucky, he wrote that he proposed to Sydney in February 2019, eight months after meeting: “In February 2019, I asked her to marry me,” he stated. The couple was legally married in December 2019 but publicly announced their engagement on social media two months later, in February 2020.
Earlier this month, Lake received a major endorsement in her Senate campaign that could sway undecided voters.
Former Arizona GOP Gov. Doug Ducey, who had previously been at odds with Donald Trump, publicly endorsed both Trump and Lake. In a series of posts on X, Ducey said, “I will be voting for Republicans up & down the ballot in November – and both Donald Trump and Kari Lake have my endorsement.” He highlighted that, despite past disagreements, the stakes are too high in this election to do otherwise.
Ducey emphasized the importance of having a Republican in the White House, along with GOP control of the House and Senate, as essential for the country’s future.