Cancer fight propelled commissioner-elect Gallen into politics

MANATEE — Michael Gallen thought politics could wait.

The son of a judge and former state legislator, the Bradenton attorney was more comfortable teaching government than practicing it.

Until a cancer diagnosis taught him how fragile life can be.

Gallen decided to run for the District 2 seat of the Manatee County Commission — a race he won handily Tuesday night over veteran Commissioner Gwen Brown, surprising local pundits — only after he beat testicular cancer, those closest to him told the Herald.

His family said his cancer fight exemplifies the kind of person Manatee County voters hired.

“Michael reacted like he does,” said Mary Gallen, his oldest sister and campaign treasurer. “He’s in control. He’s clearly upset, but he has a family so he has to keep it together. He worked on taking steps to take action.”

Michael Gallen, who was unavailable for comment Wednesday, chose to undergo surgery to remove his lymph nodes at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa and was declared cancer-free about a year ago just before he began to campaign, Mary Gallen said.

He told family members about the cancer in early 2008.

“That helped him make his decision to run,” sister Kathleen Gallen said of his victory over the disease.

Michael Gallen, 36 and the father of three, is the son of Thomas Gallen, a senior circuit court judge who also served 12 years in the Florida Legislature. A Democrat, Michael Gallen won the commissioner’s seat because there is no opposition in the November general election.

Thomas Gallen said he never thought his youngest child would follow him into politics. But when Michael Gallen moved back to Manatee County after working as an attorney in Tallahassee, the seeds of public service were sown.

“I did not encourage him one iota. I tried to discourage him,” the elder Gallen said. “He’s got a passion and extreme dedication to the community. I don’t think it’s a political aspiration; he just wants what’s best for the community.”

Commissioner Joe McClash, who has been on the board since 1990, welcomed Michael Gallen’s fresh voice.

“I think he’s an excellent addition to the board of county commissioners,” McClash said. “He’s the type of person you’d like to see run for office. We need younger people to step up and be leaders in the community.”

McClash said Gallen’s experience working as an attorney with the Florida Department of Environmental Policy and the Florida House business regulations committee will serve the county well.

“That’s a talent we really need, someone who knows the Tallahassee politics and knows environmental policy. It brings a different type of information to the board,” he said.

Michael Gallen is the youngest of Thomas and Linda Gallen’s four children. He was 10 years younger than brother Thomas Jr. and five years younger than Mary. Kathleen is three years older.