Cazales was the first Mexican-American woman to run for Durham City Council, part of a historic wave of at least 28 Latino candidates across 20 North Carolina counties in the 2025 municipal elections. Her candidacy was significant in a state where only four Latino legislators have ever served and whose Latino population surged from 400,000 to 1.1 million in a decade. As a PhD-trained nurse and daughter of Mexican immigrants, she brought a public health lens to housing, gun violence, and immigrant protections -- issues that drew national attention through her Run for Something endorsement.
Ran in Durham City Council Ward 1 primary October 7, 2025, finishing fourth with 7.88% (1,992 votes). Top finishers Matt Kopac (40.6%) and incumbent DeDreana Freeman (39.2%) advanced to general election, which Kopac won with 51.7%. Campaign emphasized public health lens on housing, gun violence, and immigrant protections. Part of a broader wave: J.D. Mazuera became Charlotte's first Latino council member and Kenia Gomez Jimenez became Henderson's first Latina council member in the same cycle. Cazales completed her PhD in Nursing from UNC Chapel Hill in 2025 and continues as a NICU nurse at Duke.