United States Senator, Arizona
Born the son of immigrants from Colombia and Mexico and raised by a single mom, Senator Gallego knows what it means to live the American Dream. After growing up poor and working every job he could find to help support his mom and three sisters – working at a pizza joint, construction sites, and a meat-packing plant – Sen. Gallego became the first in his family to attend college, graduating from Harvard University. Motivated to give back to the country that had given him such opportunities, Sen. Gallego enlisted in the Marine Corps and deployed to Iraq in 2005 as an infantryman. Sen. Gallego was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2010 where he pushed to expand Medicaid and worked across the aisle to secure in-state tuition for all veterans. In 2014, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In November 2024, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. Sen. Gallego lives in South Phoenix with his wife, Sydney, son, Michael, and daughter, Isla.
The Sedona Forum is the McCain Institute’s annual, high-level gathering of national and international leaders held each spring in the red rock country of Sedona, Arizona. Starting from the assumption of character-driven leadership and core democratic values, The Sedona Forum convenes thought-leaders, decision makers, activists and diverse experts to discuss approaches and solutions to real-world problems.
