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Alexis Tameron
Alexis Tameron, the first female Hispanic State Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, has not forgotten her small-town roots.
Alexis was born and raised in the town of Superior, Arizona. Alexis was interested in politics from a young age. While in school she served on the student council and after graduating from Superior High school she moved to the Valley and attended Mesa Community College. From Mesa Community College she went on to graduate with a Bachelor Degree in Political Science from Arizona State University. Education was her main focus, and she thought she would become a Social Studies and History teacher. It was in college where Alexis became a member of the Young Democrats, and she realized she could make more of an impact and a difference working in politics. Alexis says, “having grown up in Superior and gone to Superior schools I know what we didn’t get in proportion to other schools.” That experience ignited her passion for investing in Education.
In January of 2015, Alexis became the State Chair of the Democratic Party of Arizona and this election year she has the honor of being one of the Democratic Electors. If the voters of Arizona decide they want Hillary Clinton for President, Alexis and the 10 other Electors will cast the official votes for the state of Arizona.
The inner workings of the American political system can sometimes be confusing. According to the Constitution, it is the votes of the Electoral College that elect the President and Vice President, and the popular vote determines which candidate gets all of these Electoral College votes for each state. The number of Electors each state has are based on the State’s congressional seats. Arizona has nine House seats and two Senate seats which means we have a total of 11 electoral votes. During an election year, each party nominates and picks electoral members. Those individuals get the honor of casting the official vote for whatever party the population of a state deems worthy of being President and Vice President.
“If the Democrats win Arizona, after the election and after the election is certified by the Secretary of State, we’ll end up going to probably the Secretary of State’s office and essential casting our ballots for our candidate which will then be sent to the US House of Representatives,” Alexis explained.
As party Chair, Alexis gets to hand pick the Democratic Electors for Arizona. Because the United States has the first female presidential candidate in this election, Alexis says she was looking for people who represented firsts or trailblazers. For instance, Alexis is the first Hispanic Chair and the first Female Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. Another Elector Corey Woods is the first African American elected to the Tempe City Council. Peterson Zah is the first President of the Navajo Nation. Alexis wanted not only diversity in terms of ethnic backgrounds in the members of the Democratic Electors, but she also wanted regional diversity. Roberto Reveles is from Gold Canyon, and there are other Electors from across the state including Tucson and Flagstaff.
Alexis will serve as the Chair for two years. When asked if she would ever run for office Alexis says no. “I care more about helping other people who will take that leap, make that sacrifice and help them accomplish great things because I also know it takes a whole lot of people to make other people successful. I would rather be behind the scenes than up close in front of the spotlight.”
Alexis has never forgotten her time growing up in a small town. She talks with pride about Superior and going to school there. The advice she would give to the students of Superior, “If you have dreams, follow through on them. Anything is possible.” She says it’s important to “finish school. If you don’t go directly to a university, go to a community college. Be a lifelong learner, and that will really open doors of opportunity for you. “ By going to college, “You’ll meet a variety of different types of people and coming from a small town where everyone kind of knows each other it’s good to expand your horizon.” Most importantly she says, “You can do anything you can set your heart and mind to, but never forget where you come from. “ Alexis is proud to be from Superior, “Superior is my home, and I’ll always be a Panther.”
Alexis will keep working hard to help elect Democrats, “So we can invest in education and ensure people have access to health care.” She wants to make sure that the Arizona her nieces and nephews and folks from Superior inherit is a better one. She also wants to remind the people of Superior that, “Everyone’s vote counts. In order for your voice to be heard, you have to make sure you go out and cast your ballot.”
Alexis is the daughter of Richard and Rosie Tameron of Superior.
Official Bio: A native Arizonan, Alexis Tameron was born and raised in the mining town of Superior. She has worked in government, public policy and electoral politics for over a decade, serving in various management capacities at the congressional, state and local level. Most recently, Alexis served as the 2012 Statewide Campaign Manager for Dr. Richard Carmona’s U.S. Senate race – an effort that captured more votes statewide than any other Democratic candidate in Arizona history. Alexis also worked for Harry Mitchell’s 2006 congressional campaign, an effort that resulted in the upset victory over six-term incumbent J.D. Hayworth. She served as Congressman Mitchell’s first District Director before becoming his Chief of Staff in Washington. Alexis graduated from Arizona State University and attended the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University as a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow. She resides in Tempe and works as a public affairs professional for an Arizona-based technology company.
Article by Cat Brown
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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