Phoenix's political future may already live on the west side

Vania Guevara, the Phoenix councilwoman appointed to replace Daniel Valenzuela in the west side, caught the public’s attention – and criticism – over a $10 million deal with the Phoenix Suns.

That agreement, which was part of a necessary $230 million Talking Stick Resort Arena renovation package, is front and center of Guevara’s political fight for the seat she took less than a year ago.

Don't buy the criticism about her so-called “side deal,” which earmarked $2.6 million to the early-childhood education program Head Start. If anything, Guevara should be praised for looking after the interests of her west Phoenix district.

Further, union activist Betty Guardado – her opponent in the May 21 runoff – says she would have done the same (except she believes she could have brokered something better with the Suns).

The question is whether Guevara – a Salvadoran immigrant –  deserves to keep the seat Valenzuela vacated to run for mayor.  

How are Guevara and Guardado alike?

District 5 is a largely Latino and mid-to-low-income area that covers most of west Phoenix, including Maryvale and Villa de Paz.

Guevara and Guardado are impressive up-and-comers, and regardless of the outcome of the election, they should stay in politics. The city's and the state's future will be brighter with them in it.

Both come from humble beginnings. Guardado said she went from being housekeeper to chef steward to union organizer.

“I learn how to stand up for myself,’’ she said, adding she would hit the council running.

Guevara said her family was forced to leave El Salvador during the civil war and was later, for economic reasons, forced to leave their home in El Monte, California.

“I know what it means to be displaced,” said Guevara, who has lived in District 5 for more than a decade. 

Both know the area well. Guardado said the district needs to clean up dirty alleys, provide adequate street lighting and recruit more "quality police officers." 

She’s the director of organizing and vice president of Unite Here Local 11 and Unite Here International, labor unions representing hospitality workers. She’s a board member of Central Arizonans for a Sustainable Economy and Arizona AFL-CIO.

If elected to the council, Guardado said she would take a leave from her day job.

MORE:Who's best for Phoenix's District 8 seat?

Guevara, meanwhile, was Valenzuela’s staffer from 2012-17. She has a law degree and has been a substitute teacher in the Washington and Pendergast elementary school districts. She’s on the board of the Maryvale Family YMCA and a member of the Hispanic Bar Association and Latina Mentoring Project.

Her priorities include accessibility and economic development, and she has already led efforts to find $200 million for repairing city streets. But Guevara also said west side residents shouldn’t be asking for the bare minimum.

“We come from tough beginnings that we’re just grateful,” she said. “It’s time we start demanding more.”

Both agree that the public doesn't trust police officers and that their interactions with residents must improve.

“These are the people our community needs to trust the most,” said Guardado, who has lived in Maryvale for 13 years. “My first year, I’d get stopped three to five times a week.”

Guevara said there is a disconnect between police officers and residents. Ultimately, however, she said the district requires a holistic approach to lure private investment so residents can earn living wages and access social and educational programs.

So, who's best to lead District 5?

It's not an easy choice, but Guevara is the kind of leader west Phoenix needs. A leader who not only relates culturally but who’s compassionate and take risks to move the district and the city forward.

Yes, Guevara’s vote on the Suns deal drew criticism, including from some members of The Republic’s editorial board.

But it takes courage and selflessness to broker that kind of deal knowing the political risks.

West Phoenix should keep Vania Guevara on the City Council. She knows that “governing is not union organizing,” as she put it, adding she's pro-labor. And in her short time on the council, she has already proven that “you can’t just go on strike when you don’t get the deal you want.”

You compromise, work with others and move forward.

This is an opinion of The Arizona Republic's editorial board. What do you think? Send us a letter to the editor to weigh in.