Kate Gallego

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Kate Gallego

| image = Kate Gallego by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg

| office = 62nd Mayor of Phoenix

| term_start = March 21, 2019

| term_end =

| predecessor = Thelda Williams

| successor =

| office1 = Member of the Phoenix City Council
from the 8th district

| predecessor1 = Michael Johnson

| successor1 = Felicita Mendoza

| term_start1 = January 2, 2014

| term_end1 = August 7, 2018

| birth_name = Katharine Sarah Widland

| birth_date ={{birth date and age|1981|10|21}}

| birth_place = {{nowrap|Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.}}

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic

| spouse = {{marriage|Ruben Gallego|2010|2017|reason=divorce}}

| children = 1

| education = Harvard University (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (MBA)

| website = {{URL|kategallego.com|Campaign website}}

}}

{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | headerimage= 210px | video1 = [https://www.crowdcast.io/c/urban-heat “Rethinking cities in the face of extreme heat”], Kate Gallego and others, Knowable Magazine, 2022.}}

Katharine Sarah Widland Gallego{{cite web|title=Donor Lookup|url=https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?cand=ruben+gallego&order=asc&page=3&sort=D|publisher=OpenSecrets|access-date=February 27, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250227160730/https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?cand=ruben+gallego&order=asc&page=3&sort=D|archive-date=February 27, 2025|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Mayor spends weekend in Washington|url=https://www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/local/2015/11/13/mayor-spends-weekend-washington/75719000/|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|access-date=February 27, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250227155427/https://www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/local/2015/11/13/mayor-spends-weekend-washington/75719000/|archive-date=February 27, 2025|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Duff joins coalition calling for Senate vote on Supreme Court nominee|url=https://www.nancyonnorwalk.com/duff-joins-coalition-calling-for-senate-vote-on-supreme-court-nominee/|website=Nancy on Norwalk|access-date=February 27, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250227161348/https://www.nancyonnorwalk.com/duff-joins-coalition-calling-for-senate-vote-on-supreme-court-nominee/|archive-date=February 27, 2025|url-status=live}} (née Widland, born October 21, 1981)https://www.twitter.com/katewgallego/status/1185970168645574660?s=46 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}{{cite web |title=Phi Beta Kappa elects 92 seniors to Harvard chapter |url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2004/06/phi-beta-kappa-elects-92-seniors-to-harvard-chapter/ |website=The Harvard Gazette|date=June 10, 2004 }} is an American politician serving as the 62nd mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served on the Phoenix City Council from 2014 to 2018.

Early life and education

Born Katharine Sarah Widland, Gallego grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico.{{cite web |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/editorial/2018/10/24/kate-gallego-daniel-valenzuela-phoenix-mayor-candidates/1736386002/ |title=What does the next Phoenix mayor need most: Backing or brains? |publisher=The Arizona Republic |access-date=March 13, 2019 |date=October 24, 2018}} Her parents are attorneys who moved to Albuquerque from Chicago after the 1979 Chicago blizzard.{{cite web|url=http://azjewishlife.com/kate-gallego-caring-more-campaign/ |title=Kate Gallego: Caring is More than a Campaign | Arizona Jewish Life |date=June 2013 |publisher=Azjewishlife.com |access-date=March 16, 2019}} She grew up with asthma, which made air quality important to her.{{cite web |url=http://www.phoenixmag.com/2018/05/01/kate-expectations/ |title=Kate Expectations | People |date=May 2018 |publisher=Phoenixmag.com |access-date=May 29, 2019}} Gallego is Jewish, celebrating her bat mitzvah in Albuquerque.

Gallego graduated from Albuquerque Academy, where she served as student body vice president.{{cite web|url=https://www.abqjournal.com/1292149/albuquerque-native-elected-new-phoenix-mayor.html |title=Albuquerque native elected mayor of Phoenix » Albuquerque Journal |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=March 15, 2019 |publisher=Abqjournal.com |access-date=March 16, 2019}} She earned a bachelor's degree in environmental science and public policy from Harvard College and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.{{cite web|url=https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/get-to-know-the-phoenix-mayoral-candidates|title=Get to know the Phoenix mayoral candidates|date=October 27, 2018|publisher=KNXV-TV|access-date=January 18, 2019}}

Political career

Gallego worked for the Arizona Democratic Party, the Arizona Office of Tourism, as well as on economic development and strategic planning for the Salt River Project. On November 5, 2013, Gallego was elected to the Phoenix City Council for the 8th district; she was reelected in 2017. With Greg Stanton, the Mayor of Phoenix, running for the United States House of Representatives in the 2018 elections, Gallego announced she would run in a special election to succeed him.{{cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2017/10/09/councilwoman-kate-gallego-enters-phoenix-mayoral-race/741052001/ |title=Councilwoman Kate Gallego enters Phoenix mayoral race |publisher=Azcentral.com |date=October 9, 2017 |access-date=January 18, 2019}} She resigned from the city council effective August 7, 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2018/07/26/phoenix-councilwoman-kate-gallego-resign-run-mayor-greg-stanton-election-daniel-valenzuela/846096002/ |title=Phoenix Councilwoman Kate Gallego to resign Aug. 7 to run for mayor |publisher=Azcentral.com |date=July 26, 2018 |access-date=January 18, 2019}}

=Elections=

The city of Phoenix has nonpartisan mayoral elections. In the 2018 special election, Kate Gallego and Daniel Valenzuela advanced to a runoff in November 2018. They defeated Moses Sanchez and Nicholas Sarwark. Although the election was nonpartisan, both candidates were Democrats. Previously on the city council, they had voted similarly. Kate Gallego defeated Daniel Valenzuela in the special general runoff election for the mayor of Phoenix in 2019. She received 58.6% of votes.{{Cite web |title=Kate Gallego |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Kate_Gallego |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}} She assumed office on March 21, 2019. She is only the second female mayor in Phoenix history and one of the youngest big city mayors in the United States.{{Cite web |title=Arizona elections, 2019 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Arizona_elections,_2019 |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}} She was backed by progressives, labor unions, the Arizona Republic editorial board, and liberal advocacy organizations. Examples of these include Emily's List, Sierra Club, and the Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona.{{Cite web |title=Kate Gallego Declares Victory in Phoenix Mayoral Election |url=https://emilyslist.org/news/entry/kate-gallego-declares-victory-in-phoenix-mayoral-election |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=emilyslist.org |language=en |archive-date=November 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128163153/https://emilyslist.org/news/entry/kate-gallego-declares-victory-in-phoenix-mayoral-election |url-status=dead }}

In 2020, Kate Gallego ran for re-election. In November 2020, she was returned to office with the highest number of votes ever cast in a mayoral election. Merissa Hamilton, a Libertarian write in candidate, was Gallego's closest opponent. Hamilton received 26.29% of votes. Gallego won the election receiving 60.7% of the votes.{{Cite web |title=Office of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego |url=https://www.phoenix.gov/mayor |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=www.phoenix.gov}} In March 2024, Gallego announced her intention to run for re-election for another term.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-05-23 |title=Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announces re-election campaign |url=https://www.azfamily.com/2024/05/23/phoenix-mayor-kate-gallego-announces-re-election-campaign/ |access-date=2024-08-03 |website=azfamily.com |language=en}}

File:L-21-08-24-A-006 (51403165605).jpg with Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh]]

=Policing=

The police department of Phoenix recorded shooting 44 people in 2018, spurring a reassessment from the community on police accountability. In 2020, Gallego suggested a plan for a citizens review board that would balance the police department interests and community interests. City councilman Carlos Garcia, who ran on further police accountability, created a plan focused on empowering a citizens review board from input of the community and groups such as Puente Human Rights and Poder in Action. The city council passed Garcia's model for a review board when Gallego and vice mayor Betty Guardados switched their votes from Gallego's model to the Garcia model with a 5–4 vote.{{Cite web |last=O'Connor |first=Meg |date=February 26, 2020 |title=Activists Win on Police Reform: Gallego Reverses Course, Adopts Tougher Model |url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/phoenix-police-reform-gallego-civilian-review-board-garcia-11450206 |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=Phoenix New Times |language=en}}

A Department of Justice investigation was initiated in August 2021 looking into if the police used excessive force on protestors and sweeping of homeless people and their property. The investigation planned to look at current police practices and its handling of the disabled.{{Cite web |last1=Mallin |first1=Alexander |last2=Burr |first2=Luke |date=August 5, 2021 |title=DOJ opening investigation into Phoenix Police Department, city of Phoenix |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/doj-opening-investigation-phoenix-police-department-city-phoenix/story?id=79294140 |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=ABC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2021-08-05 |title=Justice Department Announces Investigation of the City of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-investigation-city-phoenix-and-phoenix-police-department |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=www.justice.gov |publisher=US Department of Justice |language=en}}

= Housing =

Gallego supported legislation that legalized accessory dwelling units on lots that were previously strictly zoned for single-family housing.{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Phoenix just legalized guesthouses citywide to combat affordable housing crisis |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/09/06/phoenix-legalizes-casitas-to-combat-affordable-housing-crisis-faqs/70778248007/ |website=The Arizona Republic |language=en-US}}

= Transportation =

In January 2024, Gallego was appointed to the Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee, which will advise the U.S. Department of Transportation on ways to improve public transportation.{{Cite web|url=https://kjzz.org/content/1867219/phoenix-mayor-gallego-join-new-committee-advising-department-transportation|title=Phoenix Mayor Gallego to join new committee advising Department of Transportation|date=January 3, 2024|website=KJZZ}}

Personal life

While attending Harvard, Kate met Ruben Gallego at a charity auction following the September 11 attacks. They moved to Phoenix in 2004, and married in 2010. The couple announced their divorce in 2016, prior to the birth of their child, Michael.{{cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2016/12/21/phoenix-vice-mayor-kate-gallego-and-rep-ruben-gallego-divorce/95721368/|title=Phoenix Vice Mayor Kate Gallego and Rep. Ruben Gallego to divorce|first=Dustin|last=Gardiner|work=The Arizona Republic |date=December 21, 2016|access-date=January 18, 2019}} She endorsed Ruben's 2024 U.S. Senate candidacy.{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/ruben-kate-gallego-endorsement-senate-d044f0a131d18bb9b1db21e090fa0cee|title=Ruben Gallego is endorsed by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, his ex-wife, in bid for Arizona Senate seat|date=December 18, 2023|website=AP News}}