Daughter of an immigrant mother and a blue-collar worker dad, Alma is the youngest woman ever elected to the Arizona State Legislature.

“I represent a community made up of working families, immigrants, and first-generation Arizonans who are doing everything they can to build a better future for their children.”

Born and raised on the South Side, a proud Sunnyside School District graduate, Alma has turned deep local roots into a powerful engine for change. At 25, she became the youngest woman ever elected to the Arizona State Legislature, turning her lived experiences into results for the community she calls home. Her tenacity for service is matched only by her love for her family, the Hernandi, as they are endearingly called.

Alma holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Health from the University of Arizona, completed advanced training at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and earned both a Master’s in Legal Studies and a Juris Doctor from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. She has served as both a legislator and a professor for years. 

Widely recognized as the most effective Democrat in the legislature, Alma has a proven track record of breaking through glass ceilings. Despite a Republican-controlled legislature, Alma has passed ten laws, secured millions for Southern Arizona, strengthened labor unions, advanced criminal justice reform, protected reproductive freedom, and expanded access to health care. Her leadership is informed by personal experience navigating a broken juvenile justice system and by a lifelong commitment to ensuring every family has a fair shot. She has proudly served as Chair of the Health Policy Committee for the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, helping shape health policy for Latino communities across the country. Her professional experience extends beyond the Capitol, including humanitarian medical work in Ghana and Panama, where she delivered care to women and children. Alma understands that policy is personal and that access to quality health care, education, and opportunity can change lives.

A proud Mexican Jew and daughter of a construction worker and an immigrant from Mexico, Alma never forgets where she comes from. She governs by delivering results and fighting every day for Southern Arizona. Alma is a champion for underserved communities and a proponent of bold, common-sense leadership. Join our movement today by

signing up to volunteer, donate, and vote to continue building on her leadership and years of successful service to our community. She is proud of her record, grateful for her community’s trust, and ready to continue fighting for Southern Arizona and the values that make opportunity possible for all as the next State Senator.