After 18 months of campaigning, Kate Gallego was officially sworn in as mayor at her inauguration ceremony at the Orpheum Theatre Thursday morning.
The 37-year-old former City Councilwoman is the second woman to lead the city of Phoenix, and she is the youngest and only female mayor to serve one of the nation’s ten largest cities.
“In another city, these facts would be remarkable,” said Gallego, “but in Phoenix, it’s just how we do business.”
The ceremony focused heavily on inclusion and diversity, opening with a performance by an all-female mariachi band, Mariachi Rubor. It also included a blessing by a rabbi, the pledge of allegiance by a young Sikh child, a speech by the governor of the Gila River Indian Community and closed with a gospel rendition of Hamilton‘s “History Has its Eyes on You” by Bragg About It Performance Troop.
Gallego was sworn in with her parents and son Michael at her side.
Constituents and lawmakers past and present were in attendance in the semi-full historic theatre.
Current interim mayor Thelda Williams expressed hope and optimism in her remarks for the future of Phoenix.
“Fortunately for the city of Phoenix, we have elected a new mayor that is quite capable…and I look forward to working with her,” she said.
In her acceptance speech, Gallego addressed her campaign promises of securing the city’s water supply, creating affordable housing and protecting the light rail.
“It’s up to us to protect the future of light rail and build the transportation system of tomorrow,” said Gallego to uproarious applause.
She also singled out the downtown area as a point of major growth and change.
“Our progress is most visible in our downtown, a downtown that’s been 30 years in the making,” she said.
Gallego touted the burgeoning tech and biomedical fields in the metro Phoenix area, which she said are contributing to job creation and the thriving art and historical districts of downtown.
Anjleen Gumer appreciated the emphasis on diversity at the inauguration. Her six-year-old son Anaik is the child who recited the Pledge of Allegiance. He and his little brother wear turbans in accordance with their Sikh faith.
According to Gumer, who is involved in advocacy for the Sikh community, two out of three Sikh children like her own face bullying in school. She met Gallego through their mutual advocacy work.
It was Gallego’s openness and advocacy for minority faiths which drew Anjleen to her campaign.
“Her inclusivity…it shows throughout all her policies,” said Gumar. “And I think we saw that on stage today.”
Gallego, who was born in Albuquerque, moved to Phoenix after graduating college 15 years ago. She said she was immediately struck by the state’s natural wonders and the opportunities Phoenix presented.
“As I drove into the Valley on the I-17 I was filled with a sense of optimism and hope…I know I’m not alone in that experience,” she said. “So many people come here for the same reasons.”
But with all its positive qualities, Gallego recognized that there are still large swaths of underserved communities in Phoenix dealing with poverty, eviction and a lack of affordable housing.
“I know that not everyone has experienced the promise of Phoenix that I have, and I want to change that,” she said. “Every part of our city deserves investments to transform areas that need help.”
Her plan to improve struggling communities includes infrastructure incentives, community development programs and tax incentives “to build a city that works for everyone.”
“What makes this time feel special is not just what’s happening now, it’s what next,” said Gallego. “The opportunity for our generation to define Phoenix.”
Contact the reporter at Madeline.Ackley@asu.edu.
Madeline is the community editor for Downtown Devil and is a senior studying at the Walter Cronkite School. She is a local freelance journalist who primarily covers politics, policing, immigration and business. In 2019, she won first place in her category in the national SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards for her reporting on deported veterans in Tijuana, Mexico with Cronkite News.
