The Denver Democrats are saddened to learn of the passing Dennis Gallagher, former Denver auditor, member of Denver’s City Council and state senator and state House representative.
Dennis J. Gallagher taught speech, persuasion and media for 42 years while also working in government service. He was initially elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1970, where he served two terms before switching to the State Senate and serving 20 more years there.
In 1982, he sponsored the “Gallagher Amendment” to the state constitution, which focused on lowering residential property taxes. After leaving the legislature, Gallagher served two terms on the Denver City Council before being elected City Auditor in 2003. He was re-elected in 2007. He formally retired in 2015, but remained committed to supporting the causes important to him.
“This man was truly larger than life and was one of the most fascinating people I had the honor of knowing,” said James Reyes, Vice Chair of the Denver Democrats. “He was a regular at Drinking Liberally, and I was always enthralled by his stories and words of wisdom and encouragement.
We are so grateful for Dennis’ leadership and friendship, and will work to continue his legacy of strong civic support for our Denver community.