Kate Gallego facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kate Gallego
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| 62nd Mayor of Phoenix | |
| Assumed office March 21, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Thelda Williams |
| Member of the Phoenix City Council from the 8th district |
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| In office January 2, 2014 – August 7, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Michael Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Felicita Mendoza |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Katharine Sarah Widland
October 21, 1981 Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) University of Pennsylvania (MBA) |
Kate Gallego (born October 21, 1981) is an American politician. She is currently the Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona. She has held this important role since 2019. Before becoming mayor, she was a member of the Phoenix City Council from 2014 to 2018. Kate Gallego is a member of the Democratic Party.
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Early Life and School
Kate Gallego was born Katharine Sarah Widland in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her parents are lawyers. They moved to Albuquerque from Chicago before she was born. Kate grew up with asthma, which made her care a lot about clean air. She is Jewish and had her bat mitzvah in Albuquerque.
Kate Gallego went to Albuquerque Academy for high school. There, she was the student body vice president. She later studied at Harvard College, earning a degree in environmental science and public policy. She also earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Political Career
Before becoming a mayor, Kate Gallego worked for the Arizona Democratic Party. She also worked for the Arizona Office of Tourism. She helped with economic development and planning for the Salt River Project.
On November 5, 2013, Kate Gallego was elected to the Phoenix City Council. She represented the 8th district. She was reelected to the council in 2017. When the Mayor of Phoenix, Greg Stanton, decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives, Kate Gallego announced she would run for mayor. She left her city council position on August 7, 2018.
Mayoral Elections
The city of Phoenix holds elections for mayor that are nonpartisan. This means candidates do not run as members of a political party. In the special election for mayor in 2018, Kate Gallego and Daniel Valenzuela moved on to a final runoff election. They both defeated other candidates like Moses Sanchez and Nicholas Sarwark. Even though the election was nonpartisan, both Gallego and Valenzuela were Democrats. They had voted similarly when they were on the city council together.
Kate Gallego won the special election for mayor in 2019. She defeated Daniel Valenzuela, receiving 58.6% of the votes. She officially became mayor on March 21, 2019. She is only the second woman to be mayor of Phoenix. She is also one of the youngest mayors of a large city in the United States. Many groups supported her, including progressive organizations, labor unions, and liberal advocacy groups.
In 2020, Kate Gallego ran for re-election as mayor. She won the election in November 2020. She received the highest number of votes ever cast in a mayoral election in Phoenix. Her closest opponent was Merissa Hamilton, who received 26.29% of the votes. Kate Gallego won with 60.7% of the votes. In March 2024, she announced her plan to run for mayor again.
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Key Issues and Policies
As mayor, Kate Gallego has focused on several important issues for Phoenix.
Policing and Community Safety
In 2018, the Phoenix police department had many officer-involved shootings. This led the community to ask for more police accountability. In 2020, Mayor Gallego suggested a plan for a citizens review board. This board would help balance the interests of the police department and the community. City councilman Carlos Garcia also created a plan for a review board. His plan focused on giving more power to the community and groups like Puente Human Rights. The city council voted on Garcia's plan. Mayor Gallego and Vice Mayor Betty Guardados changed their votes to support Garcia's model. The plan passed with a 5–4 vote.
In August 2021, the Department of Justice started an investigation into the Phoenix police. They looked into whether the police used too much force on protestors. They also investigated how police handled homeless people and their belongings. The investigation also planned to look at how police interact with people with disabilities.
Housing Solutions
Mayor Gallego has supported new laws to help with housing. She supported rules that made it legal to build small extra homes, called accessory dwelling units, on lots that used to be only for single-family houses. This helps create more housing options.
Transportation Improvements
In January 2024, Mayor Gallego was chosen to join the Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee. This committee advises the U.S. Department of Transportation. Their goal is to find ways to make public transportation better across the country.
Personal Life
Kate Gallego met her future husband, Ruben Gallego, while they were both students at Harvard. They met at a charity event after the September 11 attacks. In 2004, they both moved to Phoenix. They got married in 2010. The couple announced their divorce in 2016, before their son, Michael, was born. Kate Gallego has supported Ruben's campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2024.
See also
- List of Harvard University politicians
- List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States
