With 2026 shaping up to be another change election, local legislative Democratic candidates are jockeying for an advantage in Arizona’s battleground districts.
Arizona Legislative District (LD)16, which includes parts of Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima County, is one of the battleground areas the Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (ADLCC) has targeted.
If their House Candidate in LD 16, Julia Romero-Gusse, prevails on election night, the odds are very strong that the Arizona Legislative Democrats will capture full control of the State Capitol for the first time since 1966.
An Air Force Veteran, a former Maricopa City Councilwoman, and advocate for the Arizona Department of Veterans Affairs, Ms. Romero-Gusse, vows to give the people of LD 16 “strong schools, safe communities, and leaders who put people over politics.”
Ms. Romero-Gusse graciously took the time to interview with Blog for Arizona to discuss her candidacy for one of the State House seats in LD 16.
The questions and her responses are below.
Please tell the readers two reasons you would like to run for an Arizona House seat in LD-16.
“My name is Julia Romero-Gusse. I have been a resident of Pinal County for the last 22 years. I’m excited to be running for the state house. My last position was working for the Arizona Department of Veterans Services. I saw firsthand how things operated inside both the House and the Senate, which is why I’ve never been someone focused on personal attention or political spotlight. My focus has always been on the work, the strategy, and delivering results.
I decided to retire from the Arizona Department of Veterans Services so I could serve my community in a new way – in the State House.
“Our residents are hurting financially, the cost of living is through the roof, and we want to make sure that we’re addressing all the needs of our local residents in LD-16.”
Please tell the readers at least two reasons voters should choose you over any primary or general election opponent.
“I’m a mom, a veteran, and a grandmother, and I have dedicated my entire life to serving others. I have seen firsthand how families are struggling. The work that I have done with veterans over the last 20 years is the same issues that the people in LD16 are facing g. I have a record of getting results. From expanding care for women veterans to serving on the City Council, my experience is about action, not talk.”
I will also focus on improving the quality of life in our rural and growing communities. That means expanding access to healthcare, investing in critical infrastructure, and making sure our neighborhoods have the resources they need to thrive. Strong communities depend on reliable services, smart growth, and leaders who pay attention to the everyday challenges people face.
“Right now, a large segment of our population, especially in the city of Maricopa, is having to commute to work in Maricopa County. We need to do something and foster job growth in our community, and at the same time, improve our existing infrastructure. This morning alone, there was an accident on the 347. So that’s the only way in or out for many of the residents of the city of Maricopa. We need to do something about the expansion of the 347. As a member of the Maricopa City Council, when we had the resolution to make sure we had an overpass when there was a train, the Amtrak train that was dividing the city between the north side and the south side of the tracks. I made sure we got that passed within my time frame on the city council. So I’m going to be making sure that when I’m elected, we’re making some resolutions to make sure that the 347 expansion takes place and also the I-10 expansion that’s currently in place. We need that expansion like yesterday, because many of our cities and many of the residents in Casa Grande and other parts of LD16 are having to travel to Maricopa County for their jobs as well. We want to make sure the transportation hub is taken care of.”
“Our utilities are up, you know, so outrageous right now as far as our water bills, making sure that our water lasts a couple of generations from now. We all know that water is a necessity. It’s not an option. And we’re being crunched by the Colorado River. We need to protect our very limited resources, and we need to bring down the cost of living.”
“We also want to make sure we’re having our health care needs met as well. Rural areas are often the first places to have funding cut. Our largest hospital is 30 to 40 miles away. So if we had an emergency in the City of Maricopa, we’d either have to be ambulanced out or helicoptered out. And both of those, I mean, those are expensive resources that we hope nobody has to go through. But it’s the realities that rural communities deal with.”
What are at least two issues you will be running on in the 2026 cycle?
“Affordability is the number one issue. We want to make sure that people can afford to buy a home, groceries, and basic necessities. Many years ago, I also worked as a licensed realtor. And many years ago, it was a lot easier for young people to afford their first home. When I say younger, I mean starting off families between 25 and 35. It was no problem for them to get a home. We had rural USDA loans. We had different options for them. Right now, they’re shut out. They can’t even afford it; even if they’re a couple with full-time jobs, they can’t afford to buy a house right now. So, they’re going into debt. And we just need to have a solution. The cost of living right now is just way too high.”
You support the current legislative Democrats ‘An Arizona we could afford agenda?
“Yes, absolutely. Another part of that is the ESA. Right now, public schools are being overworked. The teachers are overworked and undermanned. And I see it firsthand. I used to be a teacher within the community of the city of Maricopa, but I also see it now that I go visit my grandson’s school and some of the other schools that I go visit for reading days or different occasions that I go and stop by. I just see that they’re being ripped off, especially these ESA funds are going to, you know, the highest, wealthiest of people with no accountability. And the only way to do it is to make sure that our public schools are also being taken care of, which is to wrangle in the vouchers. We can’t afford to go another year with this abuse of these vouchers.”
Talk to me about your views on water security.
“I want to make sure that there is a future for my grandchildren here in Pinal County, for the next generations to live in. We need to protect our resources and, at the same time, make sure that people in our community can afford it. You know, it’s something that none of us could live without. Water conservation should be the number one priority right now, especially since we all want to have our properties for the next generation, the generation after that. There might not be any water.”
You also mentioned rooftop solar tax credits. Did you want to expand on that a little bit?
“The most logical thing in the state of Arizona, what do we have the most of? Sun. We should be capitalizing on that. Every rooftop. What do we have the most of in the city of Maricopa? We have the most rooftops. Every rooftop should have some type of solar energy, not only to help out the grid, but to help out the future, too. How much water are we using? How much is this costing us in the long run if we don’t start using our utilities wisely?
What are at least two ways you would conduct voter and social media outreach to Democrats, Independents, and like-minded Republicans? Because Pinal County does skew a little bit more to the right than Maricopa, Pima, or Coconino.
“I’m a veteran. I’ve worked with a lot of our veteran population. Veterans are diverse, with different backgrounds and even party affiliations. I know I can work across the aisle and make sure that we’re all being taken care of for the same reasons. I mean, everyone’s worried about the job market. Everyone’s worried about making sure that we’re, you know, we have a future for ourselves and our children.”
“As I mentioned earlier, I’ve worked on veteran issues for the last 20 years. The same issues that our veterans are having are the same issues that everyone’s having, not Democrat, Republican, everyone. And when we served in uniform, we never asked what you were, Democrat or Republican. We just all worked as a team, and we have to get back to that. I think the silos of, you know, I’m Republican, you’re Democrat, we don’t work with each other, that has to go out the window because we’re all in here, we’re all breathing the same air, we’re all living in the same areas. We need to start working together.”
But how are you going to get them to vote for you?
“I think my message is very clear.”
“I want to represent the people of LD16. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent. We want to make sure we’re working together. And I have a proven record that I’ve brought to, as a city council member. I also work for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a presidential appointee. I understand what it’s going to take for us to get to where we need to get to. And all this political bickering has to stop. We need to all start working together if we see a future for all of us. This country has gotten to a point where we’re just too divided. I’m hoping to be the unifying, I’ve proven myself to work across the aisle, and I’m hoping to be that unifying individual who’s going to get everyone. And how I’m going to get them to vote for me is I’m just going to be honest, and I’m going to be straightforward. I don’t play games. I’m very straightforward. And I don’t ever lie, because once you get into a lie, it’s very hard to remember the lie that you told. I’m very upfront and centered on making sure what works for our community. I don’t care what party you’re affiliated with.”
Is there anything not covered in the first four questions that you’d like the readers to know about your candidacy for the LD-16 state house seat?
As I mentioned, I am a veteran. I’m a mom. I’m a grandma. I’m going through the same issues that every resident in this community is going through. I was the only council member at the time who was traveling for work because council members don’t get paid too much.
But I had to have a full-time job. I was traveling to Maricopa County every single day. So I understood the sacrifices that community members make when they’re traveling on 347.
I want the same solutions that everyone’s thinking about. And many of our counterparts aren’t willing to stand up and fight for those issues. I am.”
“I’m willing to fight for what’s right and for what we could get done within this time frame. These seats are only two years long, and I’m willing to give my all to make sure I’m in it for the next two years and allow me to prove myself.”
Please click here to find out more information about Julia Gusse and her candidacy for one of the LD 16 State House seats.
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