EDS: Cronkite School journalists profiled candidates for Phoenix City Council and the Maricopa County sheriff race. You can find all the profiles here. 

By Tristan E. M. Leach
Special for Cronkite News

• Candidate name: Anna Hernandez
• Political affiliation: Progressive Democrat
• Position sought: City Council, District 7
• Age: 42
• Career: State senator for District 24

For Arizona Sen. Anna Hernandez, community is one of the pillars that people rely and stand on. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, she was taught that family, togetherness and compassion built strong relationships. Hernandez never had any intention of becoming a politician, but that all changed suddenly in 2019.

A life changing experience

On a day like any other in April 2019, Hernandez’s younger brother, Alex Hernandez, experienced a mental health crisis. Police were called, and the next thing Hernandez knew, her brother was dead. Less than a month later, another incident that involved Phoenix police made the news. According to a Arizona Republic article, a young girl stole a doll from a Family Dollar store, leading police to follow the family to their babysitter’s apartment, where an officer threatened to shoot the family in the face. The child in question was 4 years old at the time, and her younger sister was a baby.

“After that incident, this community meeting happened, and that was the first time that I publicly spoke about our experience and just how hard it had been to get everything,” she said.

The meeting allowed Hernandez to voice her own observations of police violence and the stonewalling she says her family faced while looking for answers to Alex’s death.

“There were so many things that were happening, from obtaining the police report to obtaining [Alex’s] personal belongings that were very, very difficult to navigate. There were discrepancies in what we were hearing or were not hearing,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said she only ever intended to become an activist for those in similar situations to her and her family. As she attended more meetings, though, Hernandez became aware of the need for a representative who came from her community.

At the time, Hernandez worked at Bank of America, climbing the ladder from funder to commercial credit specialist. She continued to work there through 2022, but also began a campaign for the Arizona Senate seat in District 24, which she will hold through January 2025.

Healthcare and access

But when she began to campaign, Hernandez’s life was once again altered. Her father, Jose Hernandez, contracted COVID-19 at the end of 2020. She was already aware of the difficulties marginalized communities face when it comes to accessing health care, but her father’s experience opened her eyes to an issue that would become integral to Hernandez’s policies and platform.

“Health care is not that accessible, it’s not that affordable. […] The reality is that my district is working class. People would need to take time off work to go seek health care in many forms, and so can they afford to take that time off? Do they have the luxury of doing that?” she asked.

Hernandez highlighted the fact that many people in working class areas often have to travel to get health care. Hospital access is limited in the area where Hernandez grew up and still lives today. Hernandez also pointed out that traveling for medical attention often costs more money than for those who are close to their medical provider or a hospital.

“Access has to be key,” she said. “We have to find ways to make sure it’s way more accessible, from your everyday health care to reproductive health care, so all the way through and through, like we have to be better about expanding accessibility.”

Abortion rights is another concern for Hernandez, who is a progressive Democrat. According to the Progressive Democrats of America website, the group puts a large emphasis on the Bill of Rights and movements from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, including a woman’s right to vote and the right to bodily autonomy. Hernandez feels, regardless of who wins the presidency this November, she will be able to enact change.

“I would hate to see another Trump administration. If that happens, we are going to need champions at every single level, especially at the city council level, that is going to be our frontline defense against that administration … educating the voters on the impact of a local race, like a city council … where these are the frontline individuals that are really going to show up to fight for us, right, and to fight for our protections in the case of a Trump administration,” she said.

Community first

In her campaign for City Council, Hernandez has taken the time to educate community members about voting and why every vote matters. She said doesn’t shy away from the truth, admitting that the Phoenix City Council has work to do, both internally and externally. If she is elected, Hernandez said she would work to ensure that the Phoenix residents get a chance to input their thoughts and feelings.

“And so, for me, it’s like we have to have, we have to go and see the input from everybody, get the input from the community — allow them to have a say,” Hernandez said.

For some in the community, Hernandez’s decision to continue her political career is a beacon of hope. Maggie Acosta, a District 7 voter, is among those who hope to see Hernandez fill the seat. Acosta first met Hernandez in her current role. Acosta said she immediately took to Hernandez, who represented several underrepresented groups, both in everyday life and in the world of politics.

“She’s, first of all, a woman, a woman of color. A lot of times as women of color, we’re used to holding back on speaking up. Anna, I admire her so much … she is not afraid of speaking up, especially when she knows that she’s right,” Acosta said.

Acosta praised Hernandez’s refusal to back down from speaking about injustices. Acosta, like Hernandez, comes from a working class background and admires Hernandez’s work to ensure all people in her community are taken care of.

“[Voters] should know that she’s running for us. Anna will stand up for families, for working-class families, families like mine. She will make sure that our parks are safe to be in or walk through. She will make sure that kids are safe at their schools,” Acosta said.

“My community is just what keeps me motivated. You know, in two very tough times for my family and after losing my brother and my dad, it was a community that really showed up for us, like they helped guide us through. They showed up, just to be there for us,” Hernandez said.

Community, family and togetherness finds their ways into each part of Hernandez’s platform and policies. If elected to City Council, Hernandez said she hopes to create policies and make decisions that bring every person in Phoenix together.

“After I win, let’s bring community members in so they know what is happening in their city. So, I think for me, I’m really excited about that,” Hernandez said.

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