Former candidate Ylenia Aguilar endorses Raquel Terán for Congress: Why it matters

Raquel Terán, the former state senator and Arizona Democratic Party chair, has received another vote of confidence in her bid to replace Rep. Ruben Gallego in Congress.

Her campaign has locked in support from Ylenia Aguilar, a former board member of the Osborn School District and previously undocumented immigrant, who had been running for the same U.S. House seat until she quit the race in August.

“As a mother and longtime community advocate, Raquel intimately understands the values and needs of this district,” Aguilar wrote in a statement posted earlier this month to Terán’s social media.

“Her life’s work has prepared her to be an effective champion for working families in Congress by fighting for quality education, affordable healthcare, and compassionate immigration reform.”

Gallego, D-Ariz., is not seeking reelection in the solidly Democratic 3rd Congressional District because he is running for the Senate in 2024.

Aguilar launched her campaign for Congress in May, emphasizing health care and education policy issues. If elected, she would have been Arizona’s first member of Congress to have been a formerly undocumented immigrant. She suspended her campaign in August, citing “unexpected health developments.”

As the field of candidates has dwindled, the race largely has become a two-way competition between Terán and Phoenix Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari, both self-described progressive candidates.

Aguilar ended the first few months of her campaign clearly behind the two frontrunners in terms of fundraising. She had raked in around $60,000 worth of contributions, according to federal election records. That wasn't much compared to Terán’s $206,000 and Ansari’s $510,000 at that time.

According to DeAnna Alvarez, a spokesperson for Terán’s campaign, Aguilar’s endorsement comes with financial support as well.

“We’ve earned the lion’s share of endorsements in this race because they know Raquel shares their values and will fight for them in Washington because she’s been fighting for them her whole life,” Alvarez said.

The district is overwhelmingly Democratic, meaning that whoever wins the party’s nomination on Aug. 6 is expected to easily win the general election in November. Because incumbents typically win reelection, that person could then hold the seat for years to come.

Mario Diaz, a government relations consultant familiar with the district, said the endorsement was part of a pattern of Terán locking down community support. Her other significant endorsements include the advocacy group LUCHA, the left-wing Working Families Party, and the labor union United Food and Commercial Workers 99.

“Labor organizations, prominent Latina & Latino elected officials, community leaders are driving towards Teran. Strong sign for coalition building at the early stages,” Diaz wrote in a comment to The Arizona Republic. “These endorsements have value in a district where everyone knows each other.”

Reached for comment, Ansari's campaign referred The Republic to state Sen. Flavio Bravo, D-Phoenix, who has endorsed Ansari. Bravo countered that Ansari’s endorsements from local leaders on school boards and city councils are “as grassroots as it gets.” Ansari also has been endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters union.

He said Ansari’s network is different from Terán’s because of her background, which includes studying internationally and working as a policy staffer for the United Nations.

“When you have a degree from Stanford, and from Cambridge, your network is going to be larger. And so she brings her family and her roots in Arizona, but also her relationships that she built outside the state,” he said. “It’s a strength.”

In addition to Terán and Ansari, there are two other candidates pursuing the Democratic nomination: Duane Wooten, a physician, and Hector Jaramillo, a Glendale-area school board member. Wooten has raised less than five percent of either leading candidate, and Jaramillo, who has reported no funds raised, told The Republic that his campaign is currently “on hold.”

Only one Republican, Jeff Zink, has been actively fundraising for the race.

Reach reporter Laura Gersony at laura.gersony@arizonarepublic.com or 480-372-0389. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @LauraGersony.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ylenia Aguilar endorses Raquel Terán for Congress: Why it matters