Hi there, i'm Rocque
Along the campaign trail, I’ve shared what I—and what I know many in our community—have endured, and why I’m running for the Arizona State Senate. I’ve shared about the assassination attempt on my congresswoman and the failure of politicians to act on gun reform; the prejudice my mom faced as an undocumented immigrant during periods of rising anti-immigrant rhetoric; the impact of the pandemic on my journey amid failing state and federal public health leadership; how sexual violence, compounded by Arizona’s abortion ban, impacted my family; and how I lost my little brother to fentanyl in a state that dedicated opioid settlement funds to the private prison system rather than recovery programs for Arizonans. I shared all of this because I’ve watched political inaction, ideological cruelty, and public disinvestment cost the people and communities I love their safety, health, and lives.
Along the campaign trail, I’ve shared what I—and what I know many in our community—have endured, and why I’m running for the Arizona State Senate.
I shared about the assassination attempt on my congresswomen and the failure of politicians to act on gun reform; the prejudice my mom faced as an undocumented immigrant during periods of rising anti-immigrant rhetoric; the impact of the pandemic on my journey amid failing state and federal public health leadership; and how sexual violence, compounded by Arizona’s abortion ban, impacted my family.
I also shared about losing my little brother to fentanyl in a state that dedicated opioid settlement funds to the private prison system rather than prevention and recovery programs for Arizonans. He was 19 years old, and an hour after unknowingly speaking to him for the last time, I watched a coroner roll him away.
I shared all of this because I’ve watched inaction, cruelty, and disinvestment cost the people and communities I love their safety, health, and lives.
The commitment to fight for the people and communities I love is something I share with Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva and Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. Alongside them, I'm proud to have the support of dozens of elected officials, labor unions, community organizations, educators and students.
After decades of Republican control – with their allies like Representative Hernandez helping sustain it – I believe Arizona has an opportunity to choose representation that is rooted in and accountable to Tucson. I am asking you to vote for me, Rocque Perez, on or before July 21.
For decades, our state has been held back by political leaders who have treated public investment as a liability rather than an opportunity. The result is a state where too many families struggle to afford housing, too many workers live paycheck to paycheck, too many students are denied opportunity, and too many communities are left competing for resources instead of building prosperity together.
My aspirations for Arizona are simple:
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An Arizona where every person is treated with dignity, humanity, and respect, and where we actively work to undo generations of harm inflicted on communities of color, LGBTQ+ Arizonans, women, immigrants, people with disabilities, and others who have too often been targeted by those in power.
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An Arizona that generates the revenue necessary to invest in public education, housing, healthcare, workforce development, and the services that strengthen communities.
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An Arizona where housing is affordable, renters have meaningful protections, and local communities have the tools they need to address their own housing challenges.
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An Arizona where healthcare is accessible and we invest in prevention, treatment, recovery, and community support so families can get help before a crisis becomes a tragedy.
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An Arizona where every child has access to a quality education, from early childhood through college, apprenticeships, and other postsecondary pathways.
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An Arizona where teachers, healthcare workers, public employees, and working families are treated with dignity, fairly compensated for their work, and protected on the job.
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An Arizona that invests in transportation, mobility, and infrastructure so opportunity is not limited by where someone lives.
After decades of Republican control—and with allies like Representative Hernandez helping sustain it—I believe Arizona has an opportunity to choose a different path.
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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.
