Teresa Martinez | |
---|---|
Member of the
Arizona House of Representatives from the 16th district | |
Assumed office January 9, 2023 Serving with
Keith Seaman | |
Preceded by | Jacqueline Parker |
Member of the
Arizona House of Representatives from the 11th district | |
In office November 1, 2021 – January 9, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Bret Roberts |
Succeeded by | Marcelino Quiñonez |
Personal details | |
Born | Casa Grande, Arizona, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Signature | |
Teresa Martinez is an American politician and Republican Majority Whip [1] for the Arizona House of Representatives, serving the 16th legislative district. [2] She was initially appointed to the seat in 2021 after incumbent Representative Bret Roberts resigned from office. In 2022, she was elected for a full term. [3]
Martinez was born and raised in Casa Grande, the heart of Pinal County. She is the oldest of 5 children and her dad was a miner at the San Manuel Mine. [4]
She has worked on the staffs for Congressmen Rick Renzi and Paul Gosar, and Arizona Secretary of State Michelle Reagan. [4] She was political director for the Arizona Republican Party. [5]
Before getting into politics, Teresa worked as long-term substitute teacher at her alma mater Casa Grande Union High School for several years and at the Frito Lay factory in Casa Grande. [4]
In 2024, she criticized efforts by Democratic members of the Arizona legislature to legislate protections for abortion rights after the Republican-controlled Arizona Supreme Court ruled that a near-total abortion ban was in effect. She argued, "There is no reason to rush on this very important topic." [6]