Hand in hand with his wife Kate, Ruben Gallego celebrates his win in the Democratic primary in the 7th Congressional District. The son of Hispanic immigrants, the former state representative defeated Mary Rose Wilcox in what proved to be a heated battle. (Photo by Katie Malles)Cheers erupted from a sea of supporters inside the Club Downtown Tuesday night as Former Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego secured the Democratic nomination for the 7th Congressional District, which includes parts of Phoenix and Glendale.
Gallego was called to the stage by his wife and city councilwoman Kate Gallego shortly after his win. He beat Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, author Randy Camacho and Rev. Jarrett Maupin.
“This campaign was won because a lot of people got together and had a vision,” Gallego said.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton addresses a gathering of Ruben Gallego supporters atthe Club Downtown in Phoenix on Aug. 26.(Photo by Katie Malles)
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton made a speech shortly before Gallego nabbed the victory over rival Wilcox.
“This was a battle royale,” Stanton said. “They really worked their tails off.”
As his eyes welled up, Gallego made his speech to his fans.
“I cannot win this fight alone,” Gallego said. “For the next couple years, join me in this fight."
Wilcox's husband, Earl Wilcox, said he was proud of his wife's efforts throughout her campaign, even though she didn't win.
"We will never forget the last six months," Earl Wilcox said. "It's brought us together as a family, and please leave tonight knowing we appreciate all of the hard work you've done on behalf of this campaign."
Wilcox added to her husband's well wishes by expressing her unwavering hopes for the district's future.
"I think all of you should be proud," she said. "We carried the message of our community, we carried it strong, and we brought the issues up in debate after debate."
-Jonathan Williams, Emi Kamezaki and Shelby Slade contributed to this report.
Correction: Because of a reporting error, an earlier version of this story erroneously stated the location of Gallego's post-election party.
