Joe Gallegos

Gallegos was born in San Antonio, Texas, but raised in Portland, Oregon, where his parents relocated during World War II to work in the city's shipyards.^[2] As a young adult, he also worked in the shipyards before serving one year in the U.S. Air Force and three years with the Oregon Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.^[2]

After completing his military service, Gallegos earned his BS in psychology and his master's degree in social work from Portland State University, and his PhD from the University of Denver.^[2] In 1982, he helped create a minority social work curriculum at the University of Washington before becoming a professor at San Diego State University, where he served on the faculty from 1983 to 1988.^[2] From 1990 to 2010, Gallegos served on the board directors of the Catholic Charities in Portland.^[2]

• 2012 To challenge incumbent Republican Representative Shawn Lindsay for the District 30 seat, Adriana Canas was unopposed for the May 15, 2012 Democratic Primary, winning with 2,769 votes;^[5] after Canas withdrew, Gallegos won the July 21 special election by precinct committee persons to replace her,^[6] and won the three-way November 6, 2012 General Election with 12,299 votes (49.4%) against Representative Lindsay and Libertarian candidate Kyle Markley.^[7]