Raúl Grijalva began his career in public service as a community organizer in Tucson. Four decades later, he continues to be an advocate for those in need and a voice for the constituents of his home community. From 1974 to 1986, Raúl served on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board, including six years as Chairman. In 1988, he was elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, where he served for the next 15 years, chairing the Board for two of those years. Raúl resigned his seat on the Board of Supervisors in 2002 to seek office in Arizona’s newly created Seventh Congressional District. Despite a nine-candidate primary and the challenge of being outspent three-to-one by his closest competitor, Raúl was elected with a 20-point victory, thanks to a diverse coalition of supporters that led the largest volunteer-driven election effort in Arizona.
We all deserve to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live on land free from contaminants and pollution. Throughout my time in public service, I’ve put environmental justice at the center of everything from infrastructure and economic development to our current efforts to address the climate crisis. Arizona is at the center of the environmental justice and climate justice movements and often disproportionately experiences the deadly heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires. To solve the climate crisis, we must continue transitioning our economy away from one reliant on fossil fuels to a new green economy based in renewable energy that creates millions of new green jobs. At the same time, we must continue protecting our public lands, safeguarding our biodiversity, and working with communities impacted by environmental and climate justice issues to remedy past wrongs.