Still, we believe Robles is the better choice for this district of working families and ethnic minorities on west-side Salt Lake City and northern West Valley City.
Christensen has served the city's west side for 11 years as a Salt Lake City Council member. He is on boards of the Utah Museum of Natural History, United Way, Utah Solid and Hazardous Waste Control, Shelter the Homeless and the Salt Lake International Airport. He also sits on the Quality Growth Commission and Wasatch Front Regional Council. He knows how city government works and has been successful getting west-side projects approved.
Robles served as state diversity coordinator for the Utah Domestic Violence Council on programs for victims of domestic violence and was a health policy analyst for Utah Issues, lobbying the Legislature for health care for low-income families. She has been successful convincing policymakers to recognize their needs without rancor. Behind her impressive list of service on boards, commissions and committees, Robles has a proven record of hard work in the areas of greatest concern to many residents of Senate District 1.
As she says, when people are having trouble putting food on the table, other community issues become relatively unimportant. Robles understands that. She came to Utah from Mexico in 1996 to attend the University of Utah, where she earned a bachelor's degree in business marketing and a master's in public administration.
She has been owner of a small business providing interpreter services, and she faced being uninsured while dealing with health problems. She has been a teacher in a west-side school. Although she has never been elected to office, she has lobbied legislators on issues of interest to the constituents of District 1 and handily defeated the incumbent in the Democratic primary. Appointed by Gov. Huntsman as director of the state Office of Ethnic Affairs, she gained experience in how the executive branch works.
Because of her passion for helping low-income families and ethnic-minority Utahns, we endorse Robles and believe she will be an effective legislator.
