Regina Romero, First Latina Mayor of Tucson Is Tackling Major Issues

The victory of Regina Romero who ran for city mayor of Tucson was a very historical moment in Arizona's political landscape. She is considered a veteran since she served the city of Tucson as a council member for 12 years prior to running for mayor. It was presumed that if people would vote for Romero, it would be not only her victory but it is the victory of the people in Tucson who have been looking forward to a big change in their city.

Regina Romero is the first Latina mayor in Tucson and many are expecting her to deliver her campaign agenda. In a published article in Latino Rebels, she said that her campaign was not easy because she used the traditional method of courting the voters by knocking their doors not once but three times. What made it more difficult is that she only had two employees at that time and the rest were all volunteers and they sacrificed their work just to help her during the campaign period.

During the general election, Romero proved that the people-power movement is the best strategy in courting voters. She won by 55.7 percent against Edward Ackerley who ran as an independent candidate and gained 39.7 percent. Meanwhile, the victory of Romero also shows power and dominance among the Democratic candidates because, after her victory, more Democratic candidates in the different state-side won during the general elections.

Tucson City has an approximate population of 500,000 and 42 percent are Latinx. Romero's victory is very historical in two levels. First, she is the first Latina elected as a mayor in the city. And second, she is the first female mayor in the city. In an interview, she said, "It feels incredible that we made history, but it's bittersweet and we have to ask ourselves-why did it take so long?"

However, despite her victory, still, it cannot be avoided that some of her propositions will not be accepted by many. Proposition 205 that declares the city of Tucson as the sanctuary for immigrants met rejections from the voters. The rejection came into surprise because the city played a major role in the 1980s when it provided supports to immigrants coming from Central and South American countries who were displaced due to political turmoil. This means that Tucson City has a long history of providing asylum to displaced immigrants. Moreover, Romero laid out her plans to make sure that immigrants are still welcome and safe in the city.

Romero's desire in serving her fellows even led her to issue a Municipal ID that would allow everyone to access government programs, open a checking or bank account, and even rent an apartment. Romero told the Latino rebels that she wants to raise the flags of the Native Americans who have been in the city for 4,500 years. She said, "The Tohono O'odham Nation has been in the Tucson basin for 4,500 years. They are the people of this land. The Pascua Yaqui pueblo has also had a long history in the Sonoran Desert that covers La Frontera," Romero also said that she already asked permission from the tribal leaders and invited them during the raising of their flags in the city chamber.

Aside from issuing municipal ID and preserving the culture, she also intends to tackle climate change. She said that they have done as a city in protecting its water and little environmental campaigns however they have not planned a comprehensive and bold action plan for climate change.

Romero desired so much to have an action plan towards climate change because Tucson is the third-fastest heating city in the Southwest and she vowed to do everything that can to make a difference. Among her plans are the following:

• Electrifying Public Transportation
• Increasing the number of solar installations
• Installment of electrical vehicle grid
• Creating a climate change advisory board

These are only a few of her plans. She also plans to improve the quality of lives of the most underprivileged communities that includes improving their roads, support small businesses, and most of all improve the quality of public education.