The Power of Local Politics: An Eye-Opening Interview with Representative Contreras

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Arizona State Representative Patrica Contreras. Representative Contreras is part of the democratic party and represents Legislative District 12, which covers Ahwatukee/Phoenix, south Tempe, and west Chandler (Patty Contreras for AZ House of Representatives, n.d). Below is a summary of our discussion. 

“Yes, our district is important, but the whole state is also important.” 

https://www.azleg.gov/house-member/?legislature=56&session=127&legislator=2157

Background and Role 

The interview began with me asking about Representative Contreras journey to becoming a state representative and asking what inspired her to run for office. Representative Contreras explained that she is in her second term after being re-elected in November 2024, and having an interest in the government and fighting for people’s rights is something that she has always had. She continued by explaining that when she was younger, if she came across an issue, she would “shoot off a letter” to her federal representatives, and when she was in college, she participated in many marches. At the time, many of the issues she focused on were women’s and LGBTQ rights. About ten years ago, she became involved in the Emerge Program, a program that trains women to run for office, and after retiring from the city of Phoenix, she decided to run for office. A big part of these decisions stemmed from her wanting to advocate for some of the marginalized communities in her area. 

The next question involved me asking Representative Contreras to describe what a typical day is like for her during the legislative session. She explained that her day usually starts with checking emails and then followed by meetings with lobbyists and/or constituents, going to the floor at about one PM in the afternoon, and then after the floor, she has committee meetings. She elaborated that her day tends to vary by organization, and there is often no set schedule, with some days ending at eight to nine PM. 

I continued by asking Representative Contreras what committees she currently serves on, and how those committees align with her priorities or interests. She explained that she is a part of the Health and Human Services Committee, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee. She continued that she was recently added to the Natural Resources Committee this past year, and as an Arizona native, water and the environment are incredibly important to her, so she was happy to be able to join. Additionally, it is part of several Ad Hoc Committees, meaning this committee is temporarily formed for a specific task or purpose, and one is focused on addressing issues for vulnerable adults and individuals with disabilities, and another is focused on ethics.  

Legislative Priorities

I then asked Representative Contreras what key legislation she has sponsored or supported recently that she believes will significantly impact Arizonans. For this question, Representative Contreras told me the story of one of her constituents who had her late father’s house stolen. Essentially, the crime that occurred was deed fraud. Eventually, this constituent was able to get ownership of the house back but had certain circumstances been different; this may not have been possible. Deed fraud is an issue that happens nationwide, particularly here in Arizona, because of the high population of elderly and snowbirds. With the prevalence of this issue, Representative Contreras has been working on various bills to address this deed fraud. 

I continued the interview by asking what role data, community feedback, or expert testimony plays in shaping her policy decisions. To answer this question, Representative Contreras discussed and issued a state route in her area that has been expanded to a divided highway; however, despite its expansion, it continues to be a very busy road. She explained that she was receiving many emails and complaints about this road. This then prompted her to conduct a poll, which received up to 900 responses where people could explain their needs and why they needed this road expanded. With these responses, she was enlightened to learn that a majority of use for this road was for medical appointments in the Phoenix area due to the limited resources in Maricopa. This is the kind of data that is important for her to have as it is feedback from the community. She continued by explaining the importance of stakeholder meetings on the various bills. 

Another question involved an inquiry about how she balances statewide priorities with the specific needs of her district. Representative Contreras explained that she comes from the rural community of Somerton, Arizona, and reflected that rural life holds many differences from urban life here in Phoenix. She recognizes that, ultimately she is responsible for District 12, and that is the forefront of her attention, but she never forgets her rural roots. When faced with different issues, she always considers what impacts decisions made her in Phoenix and that there won’t be an adverse effect on rural communities. 

Constituent Engagement and Personal Vision 

The interview continued with me asking what she viewed as the most effective way for citizens to engage with their elected officials. Representative Contreras explained that emails are great way to reach out, but those emails are more efficient if directly sent to the person of contact versus using a form email. She explained that letters are another option, however, there is often a delay in delivery with this way, so it can be a slower process to receive a response. 

The interview progressed with me asking what legacy or long-term impact she hopes to leave as a representative. Representative Contreras explained that she came here with the intent to help marginalized communities, specifically, the elderly, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ community. She believes she has created a strong stance on LGBTQ issues, particularly issues regarding transgender kids. As a member of the LGBTQ community herself, she never really thought that she would “come here and be a gay legislator,” but she has told many stories on the floor and in press conferences that she never thought she would share with anyone. However, she feels this visibility is important because this population needs to be seen as being part of the community. 

I asked Representative Contreras what advice she would give to young people or professionals considering a role in public service. Her response was to get involved and find out what your legislative district is doing. She recommends volunteering there and getting feet on the ground to know what happening in the community. She explained that politics are very local, and the best place to make an impact is at the local level by attending school board meetings, legislative district meetings, and being engaged with the city council. 

Another question I asked was what misconceptions people may have about her work or state politics in general. Representative Contreras emphasized that she is just a regular person. She believes there is this misconception that as a representative, she is someone special because she votes on topics, but there are many ways the public is able to do the same by voting for elected officials. She emphasized that, ultimately, the public holds power to keep her in office or not, so the misconception is that representatives are something special when, in reality, they are just regular people. 

Thoughts on Pediatric Mental Health in Arizona

These last few weeks, my focus has been on pediatric mental health, so I decided to ask Representative Contreras a question regarding this important topic. I asked her what policies or initiatives she supports to improve access to mental health services in schools or communities. She explained that something she champions and pushes for is additional funding in schools for resources for mental health, particularly for more funding for school counselors. While there has been an improvement from one counselor to 900 students to one counselor to 700 students, she feels there is much work to be done, and there is more room for improvement in this area. 

Takeaways

Overall, my conversation with Representative Contreras was incredibly enlightening. I was thrilled to be able to learn more about her and her role as the representative of Legislative District 12. My biggest takeaway from our conversation is that we, the public, do hold the power to make a difference and that if I come across an issue, I should take the initiative to bring it up to my representatives. 

Reference

Patty Contreras for AZ House of Representatives. (n.d.). About Patty. https://www.contrerasforaz.net/about.html