Gallego, Pete P. (Pete Peña), 1961-

<p>With a lengthy career in the Texas state legislature, Pete Gallego sought to bring a bipartisan tenor and healthy work ethic to Congress upon his election in 2012. He kept his focus on the local level, helping farmers, veterans, and government workers in his district maintain employment and improve their quality of life. Representing a district that included a long section of the United States border with Mexico, Gallego supported both immigration reform and strong border protection. One of his colleagues in the Texas state house of representatives described the fiscally conservative, Mexican-American legislator from West Texas as “a bridge between factions.”</p>

<p>Pete P. Gallego was born in Alpine, Brewster County, Texas, on December 2, 1961, to Pete A. Gallego, a World War II veteran and restaurateur, and Elena Peña Gallego, operator of a family credit union. Gallego and his two sisters grew up washing dishes at their family’s restaurant, a hot spot for politicos in West Texas. He graduated from Alpine High School in 1980, and then earned a B.A. from Sul Ross State University in Alpine in 1982. Gallego worked multiple jobs throughout high school and college, including a clothing store, a radio station, and an administrative position at Sul Ross. He earned his J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1985, and then worked in the office of the Texas state attorney general. In 1990, he married María Elena with whom he has one son, Nicolás.</p>

<p>That same year, the couple returned to Alpine where Gallego entered private practice before winning election to the Texas state house of representatives in the fall. Gallego thrived during his 11 terms in the state legislature. As a freshman lawmaker, Democrats chose him to lead their caucus; he held that position with distinction through a decade of Republican control of the chamber. In 2001 Gallego became head of the legislature’s Mexican-American caucus. He focused on issues of ethics and criminal justice. Colleagues referred to him as a “member’s member” and praised his quiet, approachable style which appealed to both parties.</p>

GALLEGO, Pete P., a Representative from Texas; born in Alpine, Brewster County, Tex., December 2, 1961; graduated from Alpine High School, Alpine, Tex., 1980; B.A., Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Tex., 1982; J.D., University of Texas, Austin, Tex., 1985; lawyer; assistant attorney general, Office of the Attorney General, State of Texas, 1986-1989; member of the Texas state house of representatives, 1991-2012; chairman, Texas state house of representatives Democratic caucus, 1991-2001; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress (January 3, 2013-January 3, 2015); unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress in 2014; unsuccessful candidate for election to the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress in 2016.

<p>Pete Peña Gallego (born December 2, 1961) is an American lawyer and politician who was the U.S. Representative for Texas's 23rd congressional district from 2013 to 2015. Gallego, a member of the Democratic Party, previously served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 74th district beginning in 1991.</p>

<p>Gallego defeated freshman incumbent Quico Canseco of San Antonio for Texas's 23rd congressional district seat in the November 6, 2012, general election. Canseco conceded the race on November 9. Gallego ran for re-election in 2014, in what the Texas Tribune called the "only obviously competitive November congressional race" in Texas. He was defeated by challenger Republican Will Hurd on November 4, 2014. In 2016 he ran for Congress once more in the 23rd district, losing to Hurd a second time. In 2018, Gallego ran in a special election for the Texas State Senate District 19, losing to Republican Pete Flores.</p>

<p>After graduating from law school, Gallego became an assistant in the office of the state attorney general, before he returned to his hometown of Alpine to become a prosecutor. He was also an attorney at the law firm Brown McCarroll LLP, with an office in Austin.</p>