CHICAGO — U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego told a crowd of 900 people at the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association's annual dinner in Chicago that he would consider running for president in 2028, citing his appeal to Latino voters as one of the reasons.

Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona, delivered his address at a packed ballroom at the Chicago Hilton Hotel before a mostly Latino audience.

"No matter who runs, even if it's not me, the candidate that wins in 2028 is going to have to get the Latino vote back to at least 62%. That is the 'Pass Go' line, collect $200 on the Monopoly board. We didn't hit that in 2024 and that's why we find ourselves in this situation," he said.

"Obviously, like any other elected official, especially ones that won red states in 2024, we have to look at it," he said of a potential presidential bid.

The 46-year-old senator defeated Republican Kari Lake in the 2024 Senate election in Arizona. As of April 2026, he has served one year in the U.S. Senate. Before entering politics, Gallego served in the U.S. Marine Corps and graduated from Harvard University.

During his remarks, the senator said he would need his family's approval before launching a bid. He has three children and described his household as "a young family."

He also described the personal sacrifices involved in public life. Gallego, whose Mexican father left the family and whose Colombian mother raised him and his sisters, said he did not want to be an absent father after growing up without a father in the house.

Before delivering his address, the senator shook hands with attendees and took photos. He addressed the largely Latino crowd with a message about national identity: "Let's be clear about one thing, and let's not let anybody forget, especially in this environment right now: Latinos are patriots. We have loved this country, even if this country does not fully love us."