An Arizona Senate candidate has faced a setback as a court ruling allowed the disclosure of his divorce records.
The Arizona Court of Appeals has confirmed a lower court’s decision to unseal the 2017 divorce documents of Congressman Ruben Gallego, a Democratic contender, and his ex-wife, Kate Gallego, who is the Mayor of Phoenix.
Current polling indicates Gallego is leading Republican Kari Lake in the race for the Senate seat.
The three-judge panel emphasized that Arizona law defaults to unsealing records, though it acknowledged that some private details could remain protected.
The records, which will be partially redacted, are set to be released on October 17 unless the Arizona Supreme Court takes action.
The Appeals Court supported the prior court’s judgment that specific information concerning the couple’s minor child could indeed be kept private.
In their ruling, they stated, “The court properly exercised its discretion by narrowly tailoring what is to be withheld from public view for legitimate purposes.”
The Gallegos contested the decision, claiming the lower court erred in refusing to seal parts related to their child, but the court found they did not provide adequate justification.
The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative outlet, had pushed for the unsealing of these records.
Following the ruling, the Gallegos directed their frustration at Lake, stating, “Kari Lake will stop at nothing to gain cheap political points, even at the cost of our child’s privacy.” They underscored their commitment to prioritizing their son’s well-being.
Lake’s adviser, Caroline Wren, countered on X, claiming they had no role in the lawsuit.
While Lake was not involved in the case, the Free Beacon’s editor-in-chief, Eliana Johnson, stressed that their intention was not to endanger anyone but to understand Gallego’s character.
In the hours following a debate, a new poll indicated Gallego’s lead had widened over Lake, as voters prepare for the Senate election on November 5.
This election will determine the successor to independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema, with Arizona voters playing a crucial role in the balance of the Senate, which currently has a slim Democratic majority.
During the debate, Gallego, a former Marine, and Lake, a former news anchor who alleged election fraud in the 2022 gubernatorial race, discussed various issues like abortion and immigration.
Recent polls have consistently shown Lake trailing Gallego, with an Emerson College/The Hill survey indicating Gallego at 50% compared to Lake’s 43%, within a margin of error of three percentage points.