Twelve years of public service shaped by the neighborhoods she calls home.
Maria's story
Maria Chen grew up in Maricopa, attended local public schools, and watched her parents build a small business on Main Street. After earning a degree in public policy at Arizona State University, she returned home and spent seven years as a teacher, then a school board member, before joining the city council in 2018.
During her time on the council, Maria helped secure $14 million in school infrastructure funding, led the parks expansion in Districts 4 and 7, and championed the city's first open-budget portal. She ran for mayor because she believes the city she loves can do even more — for everyone who calls it home.
What Maria stands for
Every decision Maria makes starts with one question: how does this help our families? Not donors, not developers — neighbors.
Maria publishes her full platform, her donors, and her voting record. No spin, no fine print. You deserve the truth.
Forty-eight town halls is not a talking point — it is a practice. Maria believes good policy starts by hearing from the people who live with the results.
Maricopa is diverse, growing fast, and full of people with different needs. Maria has spent 12 years building coalitions, not walls.
Districts served
Maria has held town halls and community meetings in each district and is committed to equitable investment across the entire city.