Q&A with Rep. Teresa Martinez of District 11

Teresa Martinez was recently selected by the Pinal County Board of Supervisors to replace Rep. Bret Roberts in Legislative District 11, which includes the city of Maricopa. Roberts resigned at the end of the 2021 legislative session to pursue family interests in South Carolina.

Have you held office in Pinal County before? No. Never public office.

What is your political background? I am a Republican and I have worked for two U.S. congressmen, the Arizona Republican Party and then almost four years for Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan.

What do you do for a living? I work part time for U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar. I handle constituent case work. For example, if you did not get your IRS stimulus check, you could call our office and I would help you get it. I handle immigration cases, postal issues, passport, IRS and labor issues.

Has being selected sunk in yet? It really hit me when I was being sworn in! That was really a special moment.
What do you want to accomplish while you’re finishing this term? I want to do something about the I-10! We need to continue pushing for the I-10 to be completed and I would also like to widen the 347. I also want to make sure we have some really good water policy in place.

Do you plan to run in 2022? Yes. In fact, people can go on the Arizona Secretary of State website and sign my petition.

What issues are most important to you personally? It’s not about me and my issues or what I want. It’s about what Pinal County wants. I don’t ever want to lose focus that I am there on the people’s behalf, not for my personal agenda or gain.

What issues are the most pressing for the city of Maricopa and Pinal County? Water, transportation and economic development — we need more and better of all three.

What have you been working on between your appointment and the opening of the legislative session? I have been meeting with city and county elected officials to get their priorities — communication is key! I have also been working with policy advisers to work on some bills that I would like to introduce in the upcoming session.

What have you learned in your brief time in office? Although I already knew that working as a team is important, this short time in office has really driven that point home. Working as a team with different people is the most essential thing that can really mean the difference between a getting things done or being unsuccessful.

Anything else you’d like to say to the residents of Maricopa? I am so humbled to be selected and I want to thank everyone who supported me. I look forward to working with the city of Maricopa and all of the citizens in my district!

Rep. Teresa Martinez
1700 W. Washington St., Room 344, Phoenix
602-926-3158
[email protected]
AZLeg.gov

This Q&A was first published in the January edition of InMaricopa magazine.