Billy Dalto

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Billy Dalto

| honorific-suffix =

| image =

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| state_house = Oregon

| district = 21st

| term_start = January 13, 2003

| term_end = January 8, 2007

| predecessor = Randy Leonard (redistricting)

| successor = Brian Clem

| prior_term =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|10|21}}

| birth_place = New York City, New York

| death_date =

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| citizenship =

| nationality = American

| party = Republican

| spouse =

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| education =

| alma_mater = Willamette University (BA), Willamette University College of Law (JD)

| occupation =

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}}

Luis Guillermo "Billy" Dalto (born October 21, 1976) is an American politician. A Republican, he represented parts of Salem in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2003 until 2007.

Early life

Dalto was born in 1976 in New York City, to Jorge Dalto, a pianist originally from Roque Pérez, Argentina, and Adela Dalto, a singer born to Mexican parents in Texas.{{cite news|url=https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/amp/Aide-hopes-to-be-Oregon-s-first-Hispanic-GOP-1075838.php|title=Aide hopes to be Oregon's first Hispanic GOP senator|newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|date=December 27, 2001|accessdate=December 28, 2020}} His father died of cancer when Dalto was eleven years old.

Dalto graduated from Willamette University in 1998 and Willamette University College of Law in 2012.{{cite web|url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/46350/billy-dalto|title=Billy Dalto's Biography|publisher=Vote Smart|accessdate=December 28, 2020|archive-date=October 31, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031063710/https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/46350/billy-dalto|url-status=live}}

Political career

Dalto served as a legislative aide for State Representative Jackie Winters. When Winters ran for the state Senate in 2002, Dalto ran for the state House. He defeated former Salem mayor Mike Swaim, 53% to 47%.{{cite web|url=https://shineonsalem.org/salem-in-2002/|title=Salem in 2002|publisher=Shine on Salem|accessdate=December 28, 2020|archive-date=May 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508022326/http://shineonsalem.org/salem-in-2002/|url-status=live}} He won reelection in 2004, defeating Claudia L. Howells, but lost to Brian Clem by a wide margin in 2006, in a year which saw control of the House of Representatives flip from Republican to Democratic.{{cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=22118|title=Dalto, Billy|publisher=Our Campaigns|accessdate=December 28, 2020|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804111951/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=22118|url-status=live}}

Dalto endorsed John Kasich in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries.{{cite web|url=https://www.opb.org/news/series/election-2016/john-kasich-campaign-oregon-support|title=John Kasich Campaign Makes Its Move In Oregon|publisher=Oregon Public Broadcasting|author=Mapes, Jeff|date=April 12, 2016|accessdate=December 28, 2020|archive-date=September 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927161645/https://www.opb.org/news/series/election-2016/john-kasich-campaign-oregon-support/|url-status=live}}

Political positions

Dalto sponsored a bill in 2003 which would have allowed undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at Oregon universities.{{cite news|url=https://psuvanguard.com/in-state-tuition-for-immigrants/|title=In-state tuition for immigrants|last=Fenton|first=Jacob|newspaper=Portland State Vanguard|date=April 22, 2003|accessdate=December 28, 2020|archive-date=November 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114035050/https://psuvanguard.com/in-state-tuition-for-immigrants/|url-status=live}}

According to a 2004 voter guide published by the Oregon Family Council, a Christian conservative organization, Dalto supports legal abortion but favors mandatory parental notification before a minor gets an abortion. As of 2004, he opposed same-sex marriage and increased protections for members of the LGBT community.{{cite web|url=https://oregonhousedemocrats.blogs.com/blog/files/oregon_family_council_primary_election_tuesday_may_18_2004.htm|title=Voter's Guide: State Representatives|publisher=Oregon Family Council|date=2004|accessdate=December 28, 2020|archive-date=June 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622170220/https://oregonhousedemocrats.blogs.com/blog/files/oregon_family_council_primary_election_tuesday_may_18_2004.htm|url-status=live}}

Dalto answered Vote Smart's 2006 Political Courage Test, in which he indicated support for a balanced budget and opposition to term limits for state legislators.{{cite web|url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/political-courage-test/46350/billy-dalto|title=Billy Dalto's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)|publisher=Vote Smart|accessdate=December 28, 2020|archive-date=October 31, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031063711/https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/political-courage-test/46350/billy-dalto|url-status=live}}