Sen. Raquel Terán is the latest progressive seeking to replace Rep. Gallego

Want another “progressive” to replace outgoing Rep. Ruben Gallego?

Don’t worry. There’ll plenty of those to choose from.

State Sen. Raquel Terán, who has long touted her “progressive” credentials, threw her hat in the ring a day after Phoenix Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari made her bid official.

Both women are formidable candidates with the right political acumen required to get ahead in what’s expected to be a crowded field fighting for the Congressional District 3 seat.

Terán got involved in anti-SB 1070 wave

“What progressive means to me is fighting for equity, fighting for an economy that doesn’t leave people behind, fighting for solidarity, fighting for justice,” Terán told me.

Nobody can dispute that.

Terán, 45, traces her political activism to the massive marches protesting the state’s restrictive immigration laws, and she hasn’t stopped since. That anti-immigrant wave in Arizona propelled so many like her to recall the Republican architect of the infamous Senate Bill 1070, oust Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and later get elected themselves.

Terán served in the House from 2019 until 2021 when she was appointed to the state Senate. She recently stepped down from her Senate minority leadership position and as chairwoman of the Arizona Democratic Party.

“I’ll lead with progressive values,’’ said Terán, who led the party through one of the most successful election cycles for statewide offices, including the governor, secretary of state and attorney general.

Race could be full of candidates like her

The 3rd congressional district, which covers parts of south Phoenix, Laveen, Maryvale and Glendale, is mostly Hispanic and leans Democratic. That means the Democrat who wins the primary will likely be the one replacing Gallego, who’s running for U.S. Senate.

Thus, the biggest challenge for voters in this district will actually be setting the candidates’ policies apart since they’ll be sounding the same tunes.

Take, for instance, Ansari.

She also touts her immigrant roots as the daughter of Iranian parents and lists among her top priorities climate change, fighting for reproductive rights and affordable housing.

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Or Phoenix Councilwoman Laura Pastor, the daughter of the late U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor who represented the area, is said to be contemplating running and surely will push similar ideas.

Or Sen. Catherine Miranda, who was just elected to champion aid for homeless people.

Or any of the other Democrats mentioned as possible contenders, such as former state Rep. Cesar Chavez and Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo.

Gallego's seat could hinge on personality

For now it is between Ansari and Terán. Both are fighters and ready to do whatever it takes to win.

Ansari, who’ll turn 31 on Friday, is serving her first term on the Phoenix City Council and now sees a chance to aim higher, which should give voters pause.

Not even finishing her first term? Sure, a lot of politicians jump from seat to seat to climb the ladder, but will she do the same to her new constituents should she win?

In the end, policy proposals may matter less in this race since all these Democrats will be touting the same things.

It may come down to personality and style ‒ and whoever has the ability to convince voters that they have their best interests at heart, not using them as a stepping-stone for their next political move.

Elvia Díaz is the editorial page editor for The Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or elvia.diaz@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter, @elviadiaz1. 

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sen. Raquel Teran is latest progressive to join US House race