The City of Portland continues to celebrate, after its voters elect Carmen Rubio, as the first Latinx member of the City Council.
Carmen Rubio made history, winning the Council seat, Position 1, with more than 67 percent of the vote, in this way she avoided a runoff in November, and she will be replacing Amanda Fritz.
Carmen talked with us and shared her experiences and emotions.
Lara Media: How do you feel about this election??
Carmen Rubio: I feel very excited and humbled because I have the trust of so many people that supported me and I’m also very aware that that’s a big responsibility so I’m gonna do everything I can to work hard every day and make sure that I truly represent the people that put their faith and their trust in me. I’m also very very hopeful because we have never had representation of our community in the council and I feel that there are a lot of opportunities for us to really make sure to include the voices of those who have been left out for generations.
LM: What was the key to connecting so thoroughly with the population of Portland? Obtaining this victory with almost 70% of votes.
CR: The key was to be authentic with what I said and talking about my intentions to make things better for people who live and work here. Making sure that those who come to Portland are being treated fairly, respectfully, with dignity and can find opportunities here while also making sure we talk about the issues that we need to focus on to make it better. I think my message resonated with people because they realized I was looking at the same issues they were hoping to address, this is why my message was able to have such an impact on them.
LM: Do you see this victory as a Latinx community victory?
CR: Absolutely, and I hope that my community sees it as that too. I do and the reason is because as I mentioned earlier, beforehand we had to fight, advocate, influence or convince people who didn’t have our life experience to take our life experiences seriously. I think it is really different when someone actually has a lot of experience and has worked in the community, there are some things that can only be understood based on our diversity, experiences and background. As a Latinx leader creating better policy for our community is essential, especially during a time where we have a very destructive and malicious presidential administration that targets our community, it makes it even more important that we have Latinx leaders elected to local governments as well as nationally. We enrich and change our local communities, and that’s why I’m so excited about this opportunity here, because we all said that we support immigrants and we need to do our best to show that we do that, in action, in policy and in safety.
LM: How much of your agenda as a Councilwoman, will be connected and directed to the Latinx community?
CR: The way I see it, it’s not only good for the latinx community, it’s good for all the communities, It’s good for the LGBT+ community, the African American community, the indigenus community, it is good for the Portland community. I’m going to try to dismantle this notion of otherness, that our communities are other, that the Portland community differs from the Latino community. We are all part of this Portland community and we deserve to be on the council, we deserve to talk about policies that impact all of us. We have diversity within the Latinx community, some are small business owners and they care about that, some are social workers, some are disabled and are not able to work, we are representatives of every single kind of sector in this community. I reject the notion of having to separate my identity when it comes to policy, I’m American, I’m Mexican, Latinx, chicana, a woman, a woman of color, a daughter, and a partner. I have multiple intersecting identities and all of them are going to serve me well as a council member. We are all a part of so many communities, which is why diverse representation is really important, listening to different voices that ultimately create better policies, better decisions and a better Portland where all parts of our one community can thrive.
LM: What does Amanda Fritz’s legacy mean to you?
CR: I’m very appreciative of Amanda’s advocacy in opening the door of the City Council to us. I had the privilege of working with Mayor Tom Porter, who really tried to have better representation, create more opportunities for community input, and partner with community organizations. Amanda came after Tom and I feel like she just picked it up and propelled it further, she has always been someone that values her constituents’ input and the diversity within our community, and she always shows respect for the relationships with diverse communities. I appreciate that part of her that is able to see past the surface, she steps outside of City Hall and goes into the neighborhoods and the communities, and that’s something I definitely want to keep going, that’s dedication. She always prioritized her time to respond to the concerns of Portland residents, so that’s a wonderful place for me to start learning.
LM: Could you share how you spent the night of the election, what were your feelings as the time for the first results approached?
CR: On election day I was very anxious and very excited, I just could not wait until 8 o’clock. I was getting ready by practicing my remarks. My partner brought a TV outside, I’m very fortunate to have a porch at my house on a very rainy day, so I was there with my campaign manager and a couple of friends that I used to work with, wearing masks and at a safe social distance of course. We watched together as much as we could and I went inside after 8 o’clock and was on the phone a lot, talking to the media, people who called to congratulate me and I was very emotional, relieved and humbled all at the same time. I was really overwhelmed with feelings and emotions, but I think I was overwhelmed because I was sad that my family could not be with me, I could not hug people, and I was really sad about not being able to be with my community. I feel like this was a very big important event for us in Portland, but I hold it in my heart and I can’t wait to celebrate when we are able to get together.
LM: How do you see yourself on your first day at the town hall office?
CR: I will be walking in very proud but at the same time with a lot of respect for the office. I have a deep respect for people who decide to run for office, because if you want to run and you want to win it is because you truly believe in what you do. You are putting your reputation on the line, you really have to put your ideas to the side and put the public’s best interest first. People can support you or reject you, is a very vulnerable position, so I walk in with a lot of respect for the other elected officials in the building who have gone through the same thing, in some cases a lot harder if they had closer races or races that went all the way to the general election. I was fortunate in that I don’t have to do that, but I also respect the fact that I know why I’m there. I’m not there for any other reason than to do my very best to make Portland a better place for their residents and for the community. That’s my number one goal, I will always remember who I work for, and that’s the people of Portland.
I’m incredibly proud of my roots and incredibly thankful with so many community members, people who supported me, people who voted for me and even people who couldn’t vote but still talked about me, to all of you I want to let you know I’m here for you and there will always be an open door for you and I will always be looking out for the best interest of all the communities.
Read the spanish version here https://www.laramedia.com/carmen-rubio-haciendo-historia/