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.
I believe that America’s working families are the backbone of our economy and country. Our policies must reflect that and strengthen America’s middle class by creating good jobs that pay fair wages and offer workers the benefits they deserve. From rights in the workplace to consumer protections, affordable health care and support for small businesses, each policy impacts the economic well-being of our country. After years of financial sector deregulation and the subsequent housing crisis that led to the Great Recession, I have supported aggressive policies to create jobs and regulate a reckless financial sector in order to get our economy back on track. Now is the time for comprehensive solutions to rewrite the rules of our economy so it works for all Americans, not just the wealthy.