Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. As a fourth generation Arizonan, Steve has spent all of his life in the West Valley, a graduate of Trevor Browne High School. Gallardo has devoted his adult life to public service at the local, county and state level. In 2002, Supervisor Gallardo was elected to the State House of Representative in a new legislative district covering the Southwest Valley. Steve spent 10 years at the Arizona State Legislature both in the House and the Senate. During his term as State Representative, Senator Gallardo served as the House Minority Whip and in 2013 was selected to be Senate Democratic Whip.
Gallardo also has served on both the Cartwright Elementary Governing Board and is a current member of the Phoenix Union High School Board.
As a lawmaker, he raised the community alarm on House Bill 2305, a misguided attempt at voter suppression. He also was the loudest voice in the legislature against the infamous Senate Bill 1070 which unfairly targeted all Latinos regardless of citizenship status. In 2006, Gallardo was the chairman of the successful ballot initiative to create a state minimum wage in Arizona.
The Supervisor has spent his life working to make government work for the people. He spent 14 years working as a campaign finance administrator in Maricopa County Elections Department. He developed candidate training programs, spearheaded voter registration drives and organized “Get out the Vote” campaigns.
Gallardo’s priorities as a Maricopa County Board of Supervisors: Affordable Housing, with emphasis on the Homeless Population, Youth Leadership Development and Economic Development in the Western portion of the County.
He has been involved in numerous boards and commissions, including the Arizona Civil Right Advisory Board and Maryvale Village Planning Committee. Steve is very involved with the local and national Hispanic community and served as a member of such organization as NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials), LCLAA (Labor Council for Latin American Advancement) and an MALDEF alumnus (Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund).
Steve currently sits on the Ryan White Planning Council and the Valley Metro Regional Transportation Advisory Board. Supervisor Gallardo is also the 2nd vice chair of the County Supervisors’ Association.