by Mario Diaz
Steve Gallardo, the sole Democrat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, is running to be Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. He is a former State Senator, representing LD29 from 2011 to 2015, serving as Minority Whip from 2013 to 2014.
He is endorsed by Governor-Elect Katie Hobbs and a broad coalition of labor unions for State Party Chair. Democratic state committee members will vote for a new chair on Jan. 28, replacing state Sen. Raquel Terán.
A progressive voice, native-born Arizonan, and well-known Latino leader in the Arizona Democratic Party, Steve has been a proven fighter in the progressive movement for nearly three decades. Steve has devoted his adult life to public service at the local, county, and state levels. He understands that sustained change is only possible by building power at the grassroots level.
Steve got his start as an organizer in Maricopa County, developing candidate training programs, spearheading voter registration drives, and organizing Get Out The Vote campaigns. Steve knows firsthand that we grow our party through the hard work of voter registration and investing in the ground game.
In 2006, Steve chaired the ballot initiative that instituted a state minimum wage in Arizona, granting relief to hundreds of thousands of working people. And in ten years in the state legislature, Steve was among the loudest voices fighting for civil rights, sounding the alarm against GOP attempts at voter suppression, and gaining national attention for his leadership in the fight against SB 1070.
During his term as State Representative, Senator Gallardo served as the House Minority Whip and, in 2013, was selected to be Senate Democratic Whip.
In 2015, Steve was elected to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, where he still serves as the sole Democrat. Steve worked with his fellow Supervisors to fight back against Donald Trump’s attempts to undermine democracy and overthrow the Constitution following the 2020 election.
Steve has continued to stand strong against attacks on our democracy as Kari Lake, Mark Finchem, and Abe Hamadeh tried and failed to undermine the results of the 2022 elections.
Steve is also involved with the local and national Hispanic community and served as a member of such organizations as NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials), LCLAA (Labor Council for Latin American Advancement), and is a MALDEF alumnus (Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund).
Steve is a proven leader who knows what it takes to win. He’ll bring his experience as a winning elected official and leader of grassroots campaign efforts to the Arizona Democratic Party to deliver real change for Arizonans. As Chair, Steve will be laser-focused on growing our party to greater heights, from flipping the state legislature in 2024 to winning local offices up and down the ballot.
Further questions re: Steve can be directed to Mario E. Diaz at (623) 217-4484).