Colonel William A. Phillips

Elton William Gallegly (born March 7, 1944) is a former U.S. Representative from California. A Republican, he last represented California's 24th congressional district. He previously represented the 23rd and 21st Districts, and served from 1987 to 2013. He did not seek re-election in 2012.[1]

Gallegly is the longest-serving Congressional representative in Ventura County history.[2]

Early life, education, and pre-congressional career

Born in Huntington Park, California on March 7, 1944, Gallegly attended California State University, Los Angeles but did not graduate. He worked as a real estate broker before entering politics. Gallegly is a former member of the Simi Valley, California City Council. He became Simi Valley's first elected mayor in 1982.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

In 1986, incumbent Republican U.S. Congresswoman Bobbi Fiedler decided to retire to run for the U.S. Senate. Gallegly won the primary with 50% of the vote.[3] In the general election, he won with 68% of the vote.[4] He won re-election in 1988 with 69% and in 1990 with 58%. In 1992, he defeated Democrat Anita Perez Ferguson 54%–41%.[5] Since then, he won re-election with at least 58% of the vote, except in 2000. That year, he defeated Democrat Michael Case 54%–41%.[6]

2006

On March 10, 2006, Gallegly announced his intent to retire from the House of Representatives after the 2006 mid-term elections, citing health concerns. He had already filed nomination papers to seek another term, however, and attempted to have his name removed from the Republican primary ballot. California election law, though, makes it clear that a candidate's name can only be withdrawn in the case of their death and, as a result, that Gallegly's name would have to remain on the ballot. The following week, after learning that he could not have his name removed from the ballot and that no new challengers would be allowed to enter the race, Gallegly changed his mind and decided to seek what he said would be his final term. He won re-election with 62% of the vote.[7]

2008

Gallegly won re-election with 58% of the vote.[8]

2010

Gallegly won re-election with 60% of the vote.[9][10]

The top 5 groups or industries that have contributed cash to Representative Gallegly's 2009/2010 campaign are: (1) Retirees: $39,484 (2) Real Estate: $35,578 (3) Lawyers/Law Firms: $29,374 (4) Pharmaceuticals: $22,500, and (5) Crop Production/Processing $20,179.[11]

Tenure

Gallegly's activism has focused on the issue of animal rights. Gallegly himself wrote a bill, enacted in 1999, which made it a federal crime to sell videos of dogfights and other depictions of animal violence, which enabled people to profit from animal cruelty.[12][13] However, on April 20, 2010, the Supreme Court of the United States, in an 8–1 ruling written by Chief Justice John Roberts, overturned Gallegly's law on the ground that the law violated the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, and created a "criminal prohibition of alarming breadth."[12]

In his defense, Gallegly argued that the bill he wrote contained "exceptions for religious, political, scientific, educational, journalistic, and artistic expression [that] may have provided too many loopholes within the legislation.[13] Bob Stevens was convicted of committing animal cruelty as defined by the law, but claimed that his rights to free speech and artistic expression protected him against prosecution."[13] Representative Gallegly objected to Stevens’ defense, claiming that the videos "promote violence and, as such, are not protected by the Constitution.".[14]

In 2011, Gallegly voted for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012.[15]

Gallegly was a supporter of gifted and talented education, having introduced the Gifted and Talented Students Act of 1998 to provide funding for gifted education.

Committee assignments

Personal life

Gallegly is married to the former Janice Shrader and has four children. Gallegly is of partial Swiss descent.[17]

A gallery has been named for him at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.[18][19] The Elton and Janice Gallegly Center for Public Service and Civic Engagement at California Lutheran University is a non-partisan center named in honor of Congressman Gallegly.[2][20]

Countrywide financial loan

In January 2012, it was reported that Gallegly received so-called "VIP" or "Friends of Angelo" loans from troubled mortgage lender Countrywide Financial, in which loans were granted at lower rates than were available to the public. Gallegly and names of other legislators were forwarded to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which begun an investigation into the issue. Gallegly denied knowing that he was part of Countrywide Financial's special loan program.[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Rep. Elton Gallegly to retire". Ventura County Star. January 7, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "The Elton and Janice Gallegly Center for Public Service and Civic Engagement | Gallegly Center at Cal Lutheran".
  3. ^ "Our Campaigns - CA District 21 - R Primary Race - Jun 03, 1986". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Our Campaigns - CA District 21 Race - Nov 04, 1986". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  5. ^ "Our Campaigns - CA District 23 Race - Nov 03, 1992". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  6. ^ "Our Campaigns - CA District 23 Race - Nov 07, 2000". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  7. ^ "Our Campaigns - CA - District 24 Race - Nov 07, 2006". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  8. ^ "Our Campaigns - CA - District 24 Race - Nov 04, 2008". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Our Campaigns - CA - District 24 Race - Nov 02, 2010". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  10. ^ "Welcome timallison.com - BlueHost.com". www.timallison.com. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Elton Gallegly: Campaign Finance/Money – Industries – Congressman 2010 - OpenSecrets". Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  12. ^ a b Barnes, Robert (April 21, 2010). "Supreme Court overturns anti-animal cruelty law in First Amendment case". The Washington Post.
  13. ^ a b c O'Brien, Michael (5 October 2009). "Animal cruelty leads to crimes against humans (Rep. Elton Gallegly)". Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  14. ^ Representative Elton Gallegly. "Animal Cruelty Leads to Crimes Against Humans." The Hill. )
  15. ^ "NDAA Bill: How Did Your Congress Member Vote?". International Business Times. 16 December 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  16. ^ Preston, Julia (January 7, 2011). "Surprise Choice for Immigration Panel". The New York Times. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  17. ^ "gallegly". freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  18. ^ Michele Willer-Alfred (26 January 2013). "Exhibit for Elton Gallegly at Reagan Library shows relationship with president". Ventura County star. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  19. ^ "Elton Gallegly Gallery Dedication Ceremony and Reception — 2/26/13". Reagan Foundation. Youtube. 12 February 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  20. ^ "Rice to speak at Cal Lutheran". 27 April 2018.
  21. ^ Leibovich, Mark (2012-01-14). "Countrywide 'V.I.P.' Loans Linked to 2 Congressmen". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-01-17.

External links

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 21st congressional district

1987–1993
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 23rd congressional district

1993–2003
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 24th congressional district

2003–2013
Succeeded by
Lois Capps
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Representative
Succeeded byas Former US Representative