Mario Gallegos
| Mario Gallegos | ||
 | ||
| Texas State Senate, District 6 | ||
| Former member | ||
| In office | ||
| 1995 - 2012 | ||
| Party | Democratic | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| First elected | 1994 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | 9/8/1950 | |
| Profession | Retired Fireman (Captain) | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
 | ||
Contents |
Gallegos graduated with a B.A. from the University of Houston in 2001 and served in the Texas House of Representatives until he passed away in October 2012.[1]
In addition to being a senator, Gallegos served 22 years on the Houston Fire Department. He obtained the position of Senior Captain before his retirement.[2][3]
Committee assignments
2011-2012
Mario Gallegos served on the following Texas Senate committees:
- Subcommittee on Flooding & Evacuations Chair
- Redistricting, Select Committee Vice Chair
- Jurisprudence Committee
- Education Committee
- Intergovernmental Relations Committee
- International Relations Trade Committee
2009-2010
- Subcommittee on Flooding & Evacuations, Chair
- Jurisprudence Committee, Texas State Senate
- Education Committee, Texas State Senate
- Intergovernmental Relations Committee, Texas State Senate
- International Relations and Trade Committee, Texas State Senate
District 6
Mario Gallegos represented District 6, which includes the county of Brazos, Texas.[4]
Elections
2012
- See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2012
Gallegos filed to run in the 2012 election for Texas State Senate, District 6. He ran unopposed in the May 29 primary election. Gallegos passed away in October 2012, prior to the November 6, 2012 general election. However, his name still appeared on the ballot, and he received the most votes. A special election to fill the seat was set for January 26, 2013.[5]
| Texas State Senate, District 6, General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Mario Gallegos Incumbent |
70.9% | 93,289 | |
| Republican | R.W. Bray | 29.1% | 38,201 | |
| Total Votes | 131,490 | |||
2008
On Nov. 4, 2008, Gallegos won election to the 6th District Seat in the Texas State Senate, defeating opponents Gilbert Pena and Susan Delgado.[6]
Gallegos raised $430,953 for his campaign while Pena raised $40,000 and Delgado raised $0.[7]
| Texas State Senate, District 6 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Mario Gallegos (D)
|
72,960 | 70.01% | ||
| Gilbert Pena (R) | 27,751 | 26.63% | ||
| Susan Delgado (L) | 3,496 | 3.35% | ||
Campaign donors
2008
In 2008, a year in which Gallegos was up for re-election, he collected $430,953 in donations. [8]
His four largest contributors in 2008 were:
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bob Perry | $35,000 |
| Doylene Perry | $15,000 |
| Michael Brown | $10,000 |
| Texas Trial Lawyers Association | $10,000 |
2004
In 2004, a year in which Gallegos was up for re-election, he collected $571,179 in donations. [9]
His five largest contributors in 2004 were:
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Texas Trial Lawyers Association | $80,000 |
| Williams Bailey Law Firm | $52,500 |
| Texans for Insurance Reform | $26,500 |
| Texas Association of Realtors | $17,000 |
| Silber Pearlman | $15,000 |
Controversies
Gallegos took a $3,000 taxpayer-funded junket to Maui in 2008. Gallegos took his wife, Theresa, and son, Mario Elias, on the trip as well, though he did not use state funds to pay for their travel.
Gallegos was attending a conference put on by the Folsom, Calif.-based Pacific Policy Research Foundation.[10]
Scorecards
Empower Texans Fiscal Responsibility Index
Empower Texans produces the Fiscal Responsibility Index as "a measurement of how lawmakers perform on size and role of government issues." The index uses "exemplar votes on core budget and free enterprise issues that demonstrate legislators' governing philosophy."[11] Legislators are graded along a standard grading scale, receiving grades A through F based on their performance during the legislative session.
2011
Mario Gallegos received a grade of F on the 2011 Fiscal Responsibility Index.
Personal
Gallegos was born on September 8, 1950 in Houston, TX.
He died on October 16, 2012, of complications relating to liver disease, and is survived by his wife, Theresa, and three children: Ali, Melissa and Mario.[1]
External links
- Official website of Mario Gallegos
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions: 2012, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 1998
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chron.com "Mario Gallegos, Senate champion for Hispanics, dies at 62," Accessed October 17, 2012
- ↑ Mario Gallegos from Project Vote Smart
- ↑ Official website of Mario Gallegos
- ↑ Texas Senate Districts by Number
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State - 2012 Election and Candidate Information
- ↑ Election Results, Texas State Senate, District 6
- ↑ Election Results, Texas State Senate, District 6
- ↑ 2008 contributions to Mario Gallegos
- ↑ 2004 Follow the Money
- ↑ Texas Watchdog story
- ↑ Empower Texans, "Fiscal Responsibility Index"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dan Shelley |
Texas Senate District 6 1995-October 2012 |
Succeeded by Sylvia Garcia (D) |
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