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WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Democrat Ruben Gallego was officially sworn in Friday at the nation's Capitol as Arizona's next senator.
Gallego's wife and kids stood alongside him as he recited the oath of office before Vice President Kamala Harris. During Friday's ceremony, the vice president was seen giving Gallego's son a hug and Gallego's young daughter attempted to snatch the bible as the senator was reciting the oath. After defeating Republican Kari Lake in November's election, Gallego became the first Latino candidate from Arizona to be elected to the U.
S. Senate. Gallego is replacing Kyrsten Sinema, the first woman Arizona elected to the Senate.
Sinema, who left the Democratic Party while serving as senator, declined to seek re-election in 2024. Gallego's win in Arizona was one of the few victories for Democrats on Election Day after Republicans strengthened their majorities in the Arizona Legislature. President-elect Donald Trump also notably won Arizona after narrowly losing the state four years earlier against Joe Biden.
Gallego has represented Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives for the last decade.
His term in the Senate will last six years. Gallego is starting his term in the minority after Democrats failed to keep their majority in the Senate. Republican Abe Hamadeh and Democrat Yassamin Ansari also assumed office Friday as the newest representatives to serve Arizona in the House.
RELATED: Ruben Gallego on how he won Senate race RELATED: Kyrsten Sinema bids farewell and calls for bipartisanship in last Senate floor speech Watch 12News for free You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12+ app! The free 12+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV . 12+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
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