Jacob Martinez

Jacob Martinez began serving in the U.S. Navy Reserve in 2021. Martinez attended Arizona State University. His career experience includes working as a small business owner.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I've lived in Mesa my entire life, and have dedicated myself to serving my community. Coming from a working-class family, I know how important a strong public education system and opportunities for economic mobility are to the people in my community, just like they have been for me. Over the last few years, our state legislature has drained funding to our public schools and critical social services, all while pushing a punitive and politicized anti-worker agenda and allowing corporations to drive up the cost of housing, healthcare, and utilities in our state. I'm running to help build an Arizona that works for all of us, not just a few.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Housing affordability is one of my primary focuses. I strongly support increasing the supply of available housing, which will bring costs down for everyone. I also support legislation to restrict corporate owners from buying up single family homes as soon as they hit the market or buying up whole neighborhoods. These kinds of unregulated activities drive up housing costs for working people. If elected, I also hope to crack down on price-fixing for rental units and work to establish better protections for tenants.As a graduate of Mesa's public schools and ASU Law, I am a firm advocate for public schools. I want to make sure our public schools, including K-12, community colleges, and universities are fully funded and all that young Arizonans have the opportunity to pursue the education and vocational training of their choice. Public education is a constitutional right in Arizona. I believe that one of the most important things we can do to create an affordable, quality learning environment for all is to fully fund our public schools and pay our educatirs a living wage.Arizona has not passed comprehensive water policy in almost 50 years. It's time we put partisan fighting aside and secure Arizona's water future. As water shortages from the Colorado river begin to impact our state, I believe we need to think about groundwater management more holistically. When the Groundwater Management Act was passed in 1980, nobody could have foreseen Arizona growing as much as we have. As a legislature, I believe we need to keep pace with the growth of Arizona's population by expanding the coverage of this act.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am personally passionate about public education and labor rights. Public education has done wonders for me, and allowed me to develop into an attorney that protects worker's rights. These two issues should be nonnegotiable, and are things we should fight for at the state capitol.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Elected officials should be from the communities they wish to serve. This ensures they know our shared past, and have the same vision for our future.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Representatives must be responsive to the people they are elected to serve. This goes hand in hand with being from our community. Elected officials must know the community they represent so they can properly engage with those most impacted. This is why I'm proud to have spent my entire life here, and make the commitment that I will always engage fully with my community.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was as a clerk at QuikTrip, where I worked for three years through high school and college.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Growing up low income in West Mesa helped shape my world view, but helped me understand what many in our community face. This experience fuels my passion to ensure we're always doing the right thing for working class families.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

By far, water will be our biggest challenge. We must address it so that we can continue to live in this beautiful state.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes. I believe that good legislation is more important than political parties and that collaboration with people who disagree with you is necessary to build an Arizona that works for everyone. If elected, I intend to work with everyone at the legislature to find the right solutions for the issues Arizonans are facing.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

In addition to the wide range of organizations that have endorsed my campaign, which can be found on my website, I am proud to have the endorsement of local leaders including Rep. Lorena Austin, Rep. Seth Blattman, Sen. Sears, Former Sen. Burch, Attorney General Kris Mayes, and multiple past and present city council members from Tempe and Mesa. I have also received the endorsement of MPS School Board Members Marcie Hutchinson, Courtney Davis, and Lacy Chaffee. I have also received the endorsement of Congressman Greg Stanton.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

As a lifelong resident of Mesa and a graduate of Mesa Public Schools, I want to work to ensure our schools lead the state in both academics and opportunity. My dedication to the community ranges from owning a small business to serving in the United States Navy and a vast in-between. My record shows my advocacy for issues important to the students and how I’ve been on the frontline for some of our most pressing issues, both locally and nationally.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

We're in unprecedented times. It's important to have a variety of background on the board to ensure we're best serving our students. I'm working to bring a unique perspective to the board to represent our community.Our students need an advocate. Someone who will work in their best interests and with for the students who cannot fight for themselves.We need to support our people. Our staff is what makes our district great - without them we're just a building. Supporting our certified and classified staff is critical.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: One of the most important things we need to do as a district is ensure we are spending money wisely. This starts with a transparent budget and honest communication about where taxpayer dollars are going.

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PUTTING STUDENTS FIRST

Every ​decision that we make needs to have one goal in mind: the success of our students. If we approach every situation acknowledging and mindful of that fact, then we can be confident that we are working in their best interests.

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COLLEGE, CAREER, COMMUNITY READY

When​ our students reach the end of their K-12 education, they should be confident in their next move. Whether it be going to college, trade school, or jumping into a career, we should be preparing them to enter life motivated and prepared.

CLOSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

After ​the last two years - we have seen firsthand how technology and education are integrated. It was easy for students to get left behind before, now we need to ensure that doesn't ever happen again.

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

Now more than ever the mental health of our students needs to be at the forefront of our conversations. As a district, we need to ensure that we are doing everything we can to provide the best mental health support and resources all of our K-12 students.