Ylenia Aguilar, former undocumented immigrant, launches campaign for Congress

Ylenia Aguilar launched her campaign for the U.S. House in Arizona's 3rd Congressional District on Thursday.

She joins an already crowded Democratic primary field, seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2024. The winner of the primary on Aug. 6, 2024, is likely to be the winner of the general election, as the district heavily favors Democrats and is considered "outside of competitive range" by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Committee.

If elected, the single mom of two would become the first member of Congress who was previously undocumented.

Aguilar, 40, lives in central Phoenix. She was the first Latina elected to the school board for the Osborn school district in 2016, where she still is a member of the board.

She is a business development manager for Arizona communities at SOURCE Global, a company that provides clean water to various groups through technology such as hydropanels.

Her most important policy issues are healthcare and education.

"I am a single mom who grew up undocumented, moving from school to school − sometimes without knowing the next place I would live − but I was able to achieve the American Dream, and it's why I've dedicated myself to giving struggling families a voice and getting results," Aguilar said in a written statement to The Arizona Republic.

"My story is your story. I know what you go through," she said. "I know how hard you work. How much you love your children. How difficult it can be to get ahead. In Congress, I will be your voice because your voice is what matters to me!"

Contenders: Here are the candidates in Arizona's 3rd Congressional District

Aguilar discovered her initial undocumented status when applying for the Air Force Academy. Her mom brought her to the United States in 1985, before she was one-year old, from Nogales, Sonora, in Mexico. Aguilar's mom would gain legal immigration status through an approved Violence Against Women Act petition. The law allows undocumented individuals abused by permanent residents or U.S. citizens a path to a work permits, and in some cases, lawful permanent resident status. Children are sometimes eligible for legal status after the application is approved, which is how Aguilar first became documented. She would become eligible in 2014 to be a citizen through her now former marriage.

Her oldest son is 19 and is a student at Northern Arizona University. Her youngest son is 15 and in high school.

Aguilar is the fourth candidate to announce a bid for the Democratic nomination in the 3rd Congressional District, which includes sections of Phoenix, such as south Phoenix, Laveen and Maryvale, and parts of Glendale.

She joins Phoenix Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari and State Sen. Raquel Terán.

Hector Jaramillo recently announced he was running in the Democratic primary. He is an at-large member of the Glendale Elementary School District Governing Board, a position he won in November uncontested. He had lost in the Democratic primary for the Arizona House of Representatives for the 24th district earlier in August.

Other Democrats interested in the race include: state Sen. Catherine Miranda; former state Rep. Cesar Chavez; and Phoenix City Councilperson Laura Pastor. Pastor's father, the late U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Ariz., represented the area in Congress for years prior to Gallego.

Tara Kavaler is a politics reporter at The Arizona Republic. She can be reached by email at tara.kavaler@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @kavalertara.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ylenia Aguilar launches campaign for Congress