Meet Rocque
Meet Rocque
Rocque is a fourth-generation Tucsonan raised by a working-class single mother from Mexico, alongside his little brother, Carlos. He was shaped by public schools and the lived reality of families who are doing everything they can to get by. Rocque studied at the University of Arizona and went on to work there, before ASU, and eventually leading academic and civic empowerment programs through joint investment by the City and County. In 2025, he was unanimously appointed to the Tucson City Council, becoming the youngest official in city or county government in Arizona. He lives in Barrio Santa Rosa and can often be found in neighborhood coffee shops across Tucson.
Rooted in Tucson
Rocque was born and raised in Tucson alongside his brother, Carlos. His family’s roots span Southern Arizona and Mexico. He attended a mix of public and charter schools across Tucson and Marana. In sixth grade, Rocque crossed paths with Christina-Taylor Green, a fellow student council member whose life was tragically taken in the 2011 shooting targeting Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Helping raise funds for Christina’s memorial became Rocque’s first experience with public service born from loss. During his senior year of high school, he was invited to get involved with the Metro Education Commission's Tucson Teen Congress and attend its Teen Town Hall. Through this work, he was introduced to local leadership, including Regina Romero, Paul Cunningham and Richard Fimbres. These exposures to public service and civic leadership—coinciding with the 2016 presidential election—marked a formative moment for Rocque and solidified his decision to pursue higher education.
Finding Direction Through Service
Rocque enrolled at the University of Arizona, where, at the end of his freshman year, he was elected to represent the undergraduate student body. Serving during Trump’s first presidential term, Rocque advanced a values-driven agenda centered on expanding student voting access; supporting DACA recipients, LGBTQ+ students, student veterans, and students with disabilities; condemning political violence and bigotry; and strengthening institutional accountability. Rocque simultaneously worked in the Office of Government and Community Relations, supporting relationships with local, state, and federal officials. As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, the university shutdown led to his layoff. Rocque was later selected for a congressional press internship in Washington, D.C. His first day was January 6, 2021—the day the U.S. Capitol was violently attacked. In the wake of that moment and the instability surrounding it, Rocque stepped away from the internship and coursework, beginning a nontraditional learning journey.
Resolve Sharped by Loss
While working in public institutions, Rocque returned home to live with his mother as his family navigated his younger brother Carlos’s long battle with addiction. After completing six months of treatment, Carlos overdosed shortly after returning home. This loss occurred amid a national policy environment defined by failure and political obstruction. Federal efforts to address the influx of synthetic opioids were deliberately undermined by Trump, while Arizona Republicans redirected opioid settlement funds away from treatment, recovery, and prevention—choosing instead to funnel resources toward private prison interests.
For Rocque, the connection between policy decisions and real-world consequences became painfully clear. Addiction is not a moral failure; it is a public health crisis fueled by corporate misconduct and compounded by government inaction, delay, and misdirection. This loss sharpened Rocque’s resolve to pursue public service with urgency, accountability, and a refusal to look away from the human cost of political decisions.
Supporting Learners Across Public Institutions
Rocque rejoined the University of Arizona as a strategist supporting the university’s research enterprise. His work focused on its environmental resilience, space sciences, and innovation ecosystem, in addition to special initiatives. Rocque helped launch the Women of Impact Awards, recognizing women whose work strengthened the university’s standing as a billion-dollar research institution. He later joined ASU in the Office of the Provost, where he led communications around its designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and advanced inclusive excellence initiatives aligned with the university’s charter. His role also included executive communications and enrollment strategies. Rocque later brought this experience to the Metro Education Commission, where he worked to strengthen regional postsecondary access systems across Pima County in partnership with K–12 schools, higher education institutions, and local governments.
Delivering for Tucson
In 2025, Rocque was unanimously appointed to the Tucson City Council, becoming the youngest official in city or county government in Arizona and the first member of Generation Z to hold such a role. He temporarily left the Metro Education Commission but continued to lead its work as its Chair. During this period, the Tucson Mayor and Council addressed an unusually broad portfolio of municipal, regional, and intergovernmental issues, including fiscal governance, housing and homelessness, public health, infrastructure, climate resilience, civil rights, institutional accountability, and democratic processes. On Council, he supported advancements in each of these areas and directed more than $520,000 in investments across educational institutions, nonprofits, small businesses, and neighborhood projects in Tucson’s historic barrios and Southside. He also invested in the creation of STAR Village, a low-barrier transitional housing pilot, and the continuation of senior meal services at Quincie Douglas Center.
Adelita Grijalva, U.S. House Representative, D7
Regina Romero, Tucson Mayor
Lane Santa Cruz, Tucson Vice Mayor, W1
Kevin Dahl, Tucson Council Member W3
Nikki Lee, Tucson Council Member W4
Selina Barajas, Tucson Council Member W5
Miranda Schubert, Tucson Council Member W6
Jen Allen, Pima County Board Supervisor D3
Laura Conover, Pima County Attorney
Analise Ortiz, Arizona State Senator
Abigail Cox
Absalom Valenzuela Jr.
Adriana Sanchez
Adrian Merino
Alberto Flores
Alex Gonzalez
Alex Randall
Alexis Schagel
Ana Marrufo
Angel Valencia
Anne Dougherty
Anna Patton
Anna Sanchez
Ari Bonillas
Azucena Bravo
Barbara Miller
Barbara Tellman
Ben Elias
Benjamin Brockman
Betsy Bolding
Beth Mitchneck
Briana Ortega
Brian Schubert
Brian Seastone
Bruce Burke
Carol Brown
Carol Garnett
Carolina Silva
Carolyn Campbell
Carolyn Niethammer
Carolyn Smith Casertano
Caryn Paye
Carson French
Carlos Figueroa
Chad Hathaway
Charles Poster
Celestino Fernandez
Cynthia Tuell
CJ Boyd
Cora Peterson
Daniel Dempsey
Daniel Khalil
Daniel Wesley
David Devine
David Finkelstein
Deserae Machado
Don Womack
Edgar Melendrez
Edward Espinoza
Elaina Richards
Elma Alvarez
Emilia Eldridge
Emily Yetman
Eudene Lupino
Fabiola Bedoya
Francesca Pardes
Frank Jents
Frank Vidal
Gary McCormick
Gay Miller
George Timson
Georgina Munoz
Hanna Wildblood
Harrison Tarter
Hazel Heinzer
Holly Jensen
Hubert Martin
Ian Jakubowski
Ivy Schwartz
Jacqueline Ortiz
James Martinez
Jeanne Casteen
Jennifer Arenas-Cardenas
Jessica Howe
Jessica Sueskind
Jim Hannley
Joanne Basta
John Long
John Yoakum
Jonathan Brown
Juliet Ceballos
Justin Lukasewicz
Karen Loschiavo
Karen Carlson
Karl Flessa
Karla Silva
Karla Valdez
Kathy Altman
Kathleen Dubbs
Kay Davis
Kendrick Wilson
Kevin Dahl
Kylie Walzak
Lain Hamp
Lanny Peck
Lorenzo Ruiz
Louis Woofenden
Lovely Ganthier
Luke Felix
Maggie McConnell
Marc Masters
Marcy Albert
Mari Jensen
Marianna Martinez
Maria Amado Tellez
Maria Sohn Hasman
Mark Hanna
Mark Homan
Marla Franco
Martin Arteaga
Marty Cortez
Mary E. O’Donoghue
Matt Kopac
Mo Goldman
Melissa Cordero
Michael Bryan
Michael McCrory
Mike Lippman
Miranda Lopez
Miranda Schubert
Mohyeddin Abdulaziz
Molly Kent
Molly McKasson
Nathalia Untiveros
Nicholas DeVaney
Nikai Salcido
Nina Trasoff
Nola Patino
Pat DeConcini
Patricia Sauer
Paul Schuler
Peter Akmajian
Randy Spalding
Raymundo Estrada
Ria Patino
Ruth Jacobson
Ryan Kelly
Ryan Shead
Sam Kooistra
Sandra Davenport
Sandra Gutierrez
Sara Hammond
Sara Rusk
Sean Treacy
Serena Huaraque
Sharon O’Brien
Shawn Barghout
Sheri Armendariz
Simone Rossi
Stephanie Wells
Tara Chipman
Theresa Riel
Thomas Volgy
Tom Preston-Werner
Tyler Drake
Veronica Hanley
Endorsements & Supporters
Support is never about one person. It is about a shared belief in what our community can become. I am honored to have earned the endorsement and support of community leaders, educators, advocates, organizations, and neighbors from across Legislative District 20 and Arizona.
