Gallego best choice for mayor
Kate Gallego and Daniel Valenzuela are young, tireless Democrats. Both are former Phoenix council members with the acumen to move gracefully and successfully in an ethnically and economically diverse metropolis.
They seemed equally competent to lead Phoenix, Arizona’s political and economic driver and the nation’s fifthlargest city.
But then something happened. They actually had to articulate their vision and how they’d handle complex challenges facing Phoenix, from water infrastructure and regional transportation to economic development.
That’s when Kate Gallego started shining brighter than Valenzuela and her two other rivals vying to replace Mayor Greg Stanton. The mayor had left his post to pursue a congressional bid.
Gallego has proven to be insightful, knowledgeable and a quick study who is ready to not only take the city’s helm but to join other leaders to move the Valley of the Sun into its next ascension.
Newcomers Moses Sanchez, a Republican, and Nicholas Sarwark, a Libertarian, have added to the dynamic contest. Though this is a nonpartisan mayoral race, they have adroitly articulated their views on issues through their respective ideological prisms.
Both have a future in politics, but they’re not ready for prime time. We encourage them to consider pursuing elected office, perhaps a city council seat, to gain the necessary experience.
Phoenix residents should be laser-focused on Gallego and Valenzuela, who need to get more than 50 percent of the vote in the Nov. 6 general election to avoid a runoff in March.
Valenzuela, a 43-year-old Glendale firefighter, is charismatic and has a compelling personal story that speaks to the struggles of the poor in general and Latinos in particular.
He frequently talks about his mostly absent alcoholic father. His mom raised six children virtually on her own. The family moved a lot: He attended 13 schools in the K-12 school system. He says firefighters left a lasting impression when they responded to his mother collapsing in the kitchen.
Valenzuela was elected to the Phoenix City Council from District 5 in 2011 and three years later considered but passed on a congressional bid to succeed the retiring Rep. Ed Pastor. On the council, he worked on downtown economic development, sustainability, housing, parks and education.
If elected, Valenzuela would be the first Latino mayor, and that would be an inspiring accomplishment for Hispanics, who make up a third of the city’s 1.6 million residents.
However, Phoenix residents should consider who is best-equipped to envision the city’s future and can best articulate the strategy to move it forward.
Kate Gallego, 37, is smart, possesses impeccable academic credentials and has championed issues important to the Hispanics she’s courting.
She has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in environmental studies and an MBA in entrepreneurial management from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
She has worked on strategic planning and economic development for Salt River Project.
She was elected to the City Council in 2013 from District 8. She helped to expand Phoenix’s biomedical campus, advocated for Proposition 104 to expand transportation infrastructure, championed the equal pay ordinance and revised the city council’s guidelines on sexual harassment, among other accomplishments.
Gallego grew up in Albuquerque as Kate Widland and moved to Phoenix in 2004. In 2011, she married Ruben Gallego, now an Arizona congressman, whom she has since divorced. The two have a child.
If elected, Gallego would become the second elected female mayor of Phoenix. Margaret T. Hance, who served from 1976 to 1983, was the first, though there have been female interim mayors since then.
Ideologically, Phoenix wouldn’t change much under Gallego or Valenzuela. Where they differ most is in their approach and their ability to articulate ideas and proposals.
Gallego is thoughtful, focused and eloquent when talking about issues such as sustainable growth and renewable energy to growing a walkable city.
By contrast, Valenzuela frequently fails to adequately verbalize ideas he has otherwise detailed on paper.
The next Phoenix mayor must not only inspire but have the aptitude to decipher and power through complex problems. Gallego, we feel, can do both.
And that’s why The Arizona Republic recommends that Phoenix voters choose Kate Gallego for mayor.