Armando MonteroCandidate

Armando Montero

State HouseDemocrat

AZ-AZ HD-12 State House

Latino·President, Tempe Union High School District Governing Board

Why This Race Matters

Armando Montero is running against Anastasia Travers (D, incumbent); open seat after Patty Contreras runs for State Senate.

Montero is a Gen Z candidate running for an open AZ HD-12 seat after incumbent Patty Contreras declared for State Senate. A 2022 Truman Scholar and the youngest person ever elected in Tempe at 19, Montero would bring a rare combination of school board governance experience and youth advocacy to the statehouse. District 12 (Tempe, Ahwatukee, parts of Mesa and Chandler) leans Democratic.

Endorsed by Congressman Greg Stanton (CD-4), State Sen. Mitzi Epstein (LD-12, stepping down), and Tempe Mayor Corey Woods. Also endorsed by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. Current President of Tempe Union High School Governing Board and Secretary of Arizona School Boards Association. AZ primary is August 4, 2026.

Key dates to watch: Primary on August 4, 2026 and General Election on November 3, 2026.

About

Raised in Arizona as a proud product of public schools, Armando Montero's path to politics began with tragedy. After losing a friend to suicide during his sophomore year at Desert Vista High School, he went to his school board in December 2018 to advocate for mental health resources. That advocacy led him to run for the Tempe Union High School District Governing Board in 2020, where he made history as the youngest person ever elected in Tempe at just 19 years old. Now as Board President, he has championed Arizona's most comprehensive mental health policy and reduced the student-to-counselor ratio to 1:400.

Family & Heritage

Latino heritage. Raised in Arizona and attended Desert Vista High School (Class of 2019). Started mental health advocacy after the loss of a friend during his sophomore year of high school.

Political Career

Before Politics

Senior Planning Analyst, ASU Office of Educational Outreach and Student Services; Affiliate Post-baccalaureate Fellow, American Council on Education; Intern, American Council on Education (Washington D.C.); Organizer with Arizona Students' Association, Arizona AFL-CIO, March for Our Lives AZ

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Arizona State University Barrett Honors College; Bachelor of Arts in Economics from ASU; Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (Statistics) from ASU; J.D. candidate at ASU Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (current)

Awards & Recognition

2022 Harry S. Truman Scholar (1 of 58 nationally, representing Arizona); Lou Ella Kleinz Excellence in Governance Award; Youngest person ever elected in Tempe at age 19; Truman Democracy Fellow (2023)

Key Issues & Priorities

*Mental health and suicide prevention
*Public education funding
*Affordable housing
*Healthcare access
*Water security
*Democracy protection
*Youth engagement
*Workforce development

Notable Legislation

Comprehensive Mental Health Policy

Adopted by Tempe Union board in 2021, focuses on suicide prevention, intervention and postvention - likely the most comprehensive mental health policy in Arizona

Passed

Reduced Student-to-Counselor Ratio

Achieved 1:400 student-to-counselor ratio in district

Implemented

Endorsements

Run for SomethingPolitical
Tempe Mayor Corey WoodsPolitical
State Representative Mitzi EpsteinPolitical
LGBTQ+ Victory FundAdvocacy
Tempe City Council MajorityPolitical

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