Alma Hernandez

Born and raised on Tucson's south side, Alma Hernandez is a proud product of Sunnyside School District's public schools. At age 14, she experienced a traumatic encounter with law enforcement that resulted in severe spinal issues and shaped her trajectory toward public service. She became a leader in healthcare advocacy, working as program coordinator for Bridging the Gap supporting women living with HIV/AIDS, and leading Arizonans United for Healthcare in the fight against ACA repeal. In 2018, she was elected to the Arizona House at just 25 years old, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to the Arizona House of Representatives and the first Jewish Latina lawmaker in the United States.

Mexican-American. Mother is from Nogales, a town on the Mexican border. Part of a remarkable political family: her brother Daniel Hernandez Jr. is a former State Representative famous for helping save Rep. Gabby Giffords' life during the 2011 Tucson shooting, and her sister Consuelo Hernandez serves as State Representative for LD-21. Alma was raised in a non-religious home but converted to Judaism in 2015 after discovering her maternal grandfather was Jewish (the family name changed from Cohen to Quinonez).