Tom Gallagher (Massachusetts politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Tom Gallagher

| image = 1983 Thomas Gallagher Massachusetts House of Representatives.png

| birth_place = The Bronx, New York City, U.S.

| education = Boston College (BA)

| state_house = Massachusetts

| district = 1st Suffolk

| termstart = 1980

| termend = 1986

| predecessor = John F. Melia

| successor = Kevin Honan

| party = Democratic

| otherparty = Democratic Socialists of America

}}

Tom Gallagher is an American politician, activist, author, and educator who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the 1st Suffolk district, which includes Allston–Brighton, from 1980 to 1986. After relocating to San Francisco, Gallagher had launched an unsuccessful campaign for California's 12th congressional district in 2020.{{Cite web|title=Tom Gallagher (California)|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Tom_Gallagher_(California)|access-date=2020-06-05|website=Ballotpedia|language=en}}{{Cite book|last=Relations|first=United States Congress House Committee on International|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qzcWKME2rysC&dq=tom+gallagher+massachusetts+house+district&pg=PA229|title=U.S. Economic Role in the Peace Process in Northern Ireland: Hearing Before the Committee on International Relations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourth Congress, First Session, March 15, 1995|date=1995|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|isbn=9780160471391|language=en}}

Early life and education

Gallagher was born and raised in the South Bronx, New York City. He earned a scholarship to attend Regis High School in Manhattan, and later earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Boston College.{{Cite web|title=Tom's Story|url=https://tomgallaghercongress2020.com/toms-story/|access-date=2020-06-05|website=Tom Gallagher: Congress 2020|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Meet Tom Gallagher, the Democratic Socialist Challenging Nancy Pelosi in 2020|url=https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/08/18/meet-tom-gallagher-democratic-socialist-challenging-nancy-pelosi-2020|access-date=2020-06-05|website=Common Dreams|language=en}}

Career

Gallagher ran unsuccessfully for the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1978, losing narrowly to a 14-year incumbent. Gallagher defeated the incumbent in a 1980 rematch election, and represented the Allston–Brighton neighborhood of Boston until 1986. A member of the Boston chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, Gallagher was the first declared socialist state legislator in Massachusetts since the 1920s.

After leaving office, Gallagher relocated to San Francisco and became involved in local progressive politics. Gallagher worked in the campaign for Proposition 186, which would have established a single-payer healthcare system in the state. He also worked on implementation of the Humphrey–Hawkins Full Employment Act. Gallagher also worked as a substitute teacher in San Francisco and South San Francisco, California. Gallagher was a candidate for California's 12th congressional district in 2020, campaigning as a progressive alternative to Nancy Pelosi.{{Cite web|date=2019-08-19|title=Pelosi Challengers Debated Online Saturday, And The Gloves Came Off Late|url=https://sfist.com/2019/08/19/pelosi-challengers-debated-saturday-and-the-gloves-came-off-late/|access-date=2020-06-05|website=SFist - San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports|language=en}} Gallagher has contributed articles to Common Dreams and has been profiled in Jacobin.{{Cite web|title=Tom Gallagher|url=https://www.commondreams.org/author/tom-gallagher|access-date=2020-06-05|website=Common Dreams|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Tom Gallagher|url=https://jacobinmag.com/author/tom-gallagher|access-date=2020-06-05|website=jacobinmag.com|date=14 September 2019 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title="War Creates Its Own Weather"|url=https://jacobinmag.com/2019/09/tom-gallagher-primary-challenge-nancy-pelosi-california|access-date=2020-06-05|website=jacobinmag.com|language=en-US}}