Carlos Garcia, a community organizer and political outsider is campaigning to represent District 8 on the City Council, focusing on social issues and education.
“District 8 to me is the heart of Phoenix. It has older barrios, it has immigrant populations and a black community, but it’s one of the districts that’s most forgotten,” Garcia said.
Garcia takes pride in being the only candidate that didn’t apply to be appointed to the City Council seat when city councilwoman Kate Gallego stepped down to run for Mayor of Phoenix in September. He said seeking to be appointed would have been unfair to the residents of the district because appointees are selected by the other City Council members rather than voters.
“I want to be accountable to the people of District 8; to the people of Phoenix. I felt like applying would compromise that, and that I’d go into the office owing the other City Council members,” Garcia said.
On the issues
Garcia is a vocal activist for migrant rights and has worked with Puente Arizona, a Phoenix-based human rights group, to provide support and education to migrant communities and aid individuals facing deportation since 2007.
Dulce Juarez, a supporter and friend of Garcia, met him while they attended Arizona State University together. “I was an undocumented student at the time. We were fighting Proposition 300, which targeted immigrant students, and he was one of the first to stand up for our rights,” Juarez said.
Garcia said he would work to distance Phoenix from President Donald Trump and would vote against anti-immigration policies.
While supportive of the efforts to invest in infrastructure, Garcia had some qualms with how light rail projects have been approved in south Phoenix. Projects like the South Central Extension have been divisive, with many community members saying they weren’t properly consulted before the project was approved.
“Investment in infrastructure is always welcomed. What I didn’t like about this project was how the community wasn’t involved,” Garcia said. “We can’t ignore the dangers of gentrification or the dangers of taking on these projects for future, residents meaning attracting affluent people to the district rather than serving the needs of those who already live there.
Jovana Renteria, legal director for Puente and volunteer in Garcia’s campaign,
believes Garcia would work to reduce the number of deadly officer involved shootings. Phoenix police have shot a record number of people in 2018, tying its previous record of 31 shooting within a year in July.
“Nobody has held the Phoenix Police Department accountable and I think that’s something we need to address,” Renteria said.
Several candidates are promising to build more schools according to Garcia, however he said that’s not the way a city council member can help improve education in their communities.
Garcia said he would focus on improving after school programs and funding vocational training. Garcia has become aware of the needs of the community’s youth and educators through his wife Alexis Aguirre, a grade school teacher and a Red For ED advocate.
His Background
Garcia has lived and worked as a community organizer in Phoenix for 16 years. He’s an ASU alumnus and said his experience working directly with the community is what qualifies him for office.
“My priority is to incorporate the people; the community of District 8 in finding solutions to issues that affect them,” Garcia said. “Whether its environmental issues, the quality of streets or criminal justice and immigration issues like I’ve been working on for the last 16 years, I could use background in organizing to bring the most impacted people together to find solutions.”
Contact the reporter at jicazare@asu.edu.
