U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego was in San Luis, Ariz. Friday to tour the Port of Entry and meet with local officials. Congressman Gallego says he wants to challenge the negative rhetoric about border communities.
Gallego toured the San Luis Port of Entry and a had lunch with city and county officials.
Although Gallego’s district covers the Phoenix area, he wants to highlight needs for southern Arizona and border communities like San Luis. He says negative rhetoric about border communities including the Yuma area from Republican officials and candidates is not accurate.
“They make our border communities sound like war zones but it’s not like that here," Gallego told KAWC. "There’s a strong border economy, a vibrant border culture.”
Gallego met with San Luis Mayor Gerardo Sanchez, Councilman Matias Rosales, Jenny Torres, the city's director of Economic Development as well as Alejandro Figueroa, economic development and intergovernmental affairs director for Yuma County and Buna George, executive director of the Greater Yuma Port Authority.
Mayor Sanchez and Rosales, who is also chairman for the port authority, spoke about the money coming in to expand the port of entry to shorten wait times for motorists and pedestrians entering into Arizona from San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico.
They and Torres also mentioned several new businesses that have opened recently in San Luis, including a Starbucks coffee shop and a car wash that have brought new jobs and tax dollars for the city.
Gallego was set to meet with other local leaders in Yuma and San Luis later Friday. He has been mentioned as a possible primary opponent to Democratic U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in 2024. Democrats in Arizona and around the country have soured on Sinema, who touts her bipartisanship while critics say she has held up Democratic legislation.
"That decision (whether to run against Sinema) will come later," Gallego said. "For now the goal is to support Democratic candidates at the local, state and federal levels to win this November."
