At its monthly meeting, the Northwest Valley Democrat Club will host Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo on Wednesday evening, March 13th, 6 p.m. at the Sun City West Foundation Bldg., 14465 RH Johnson Blvd in Sun City West. Please RSVP at www.northwestvalleydemocrat.com under Events. Gallardo has represented the 5th district since 2015. In his remarks he will speak about his efforts as the only Democrat on the County Board of Supervisors and discuss strategies constituents can use to keep elected officials responsive to local issues. He will also reflect on what has motivated him through his career as a political leader. Gallardo was born in Phoenix. He is a 4th generation Arizona native and grew up in Maryvale. He attended grade school at Starlight Park Elementary School in the Cartwright Elementary School District and Trevor G. Browne High School in the Phoenix Union High School District. He continued his education at Rio Salado Community College. Former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano appointed Gallardo to the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board where he served from 1998 through 2002. In 2001 Gallardo was appointed to the Maryvale Village Planning Committee by the Phoenix City Council. In October of 2001 Gallardo was appointed to the Cartwright Elementary School Governing Board to fulfill an unexpired term and later elected in 2002 and in 2010 for a 4-year term. He also served on the Governing Board of the Phoenix Union High School District from 2004 through 2008. In February 2002, Gallardo resigned from Maricopa County Election Department and announced his candidacy for the Arizona House of Representatives. He was elected in November 2002 to represent the newly created Legislative District 13 covering areas of Maryvale, Glendale, Tolleson, Cashion, and Avondale. Gallardo was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. In January 2009, Gallardo stepped down from the Arizona House of Representatives to work for a consulting firm. Shortly after the enactment of Arizona SB 1070, the broadest and strictest anti-illegal immigration measure in the U.S., he announced his candidacy for Arizona State Senate for Legislative District 13. He was elected in November 2010 and reelected in 2012. In 2012, he sponsored legislation to repeal the anti-immigration legislation. In January 2013, Gallardo introduced a series of bills to enhance the rights of LGBT persons by ending the state's ban on same-sex marriage, prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, and ending the state's preference for married persons over single persons in adoption. In October 2013, Gallardo was elected Minority Whip of the Arizona Senate by his Democratic colleagues.
* * * * The club also coordinates a monthly breakfast on the 4th Wednesday of every month at Betty’s Rooste, 9 a.m. 14418 W. Meeker Blvd. in Sun Cit
