Angela Romero, a St. Patrick parishioner, wins House seat

Courtesy photo/Angela Romero

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Angela Romero

SALT LAKE CITY — House Representative-elect Angela Romero will be sworn into office in January to represent District 26 for two years.

Romero, a member of Saint Patrick Parish, is the only incoming Democrat in the House of Representatives; she will replace D-Representative David Litvack.

"David has been a mentor, and I want to continue on in his spirit of commitment to community," said Romero.

Litvack considers it an honor to be Romero’s mentor, he said. "I have complete confidence in her capabilities," said Litvack. "She is not new to politics, and is not a novice by any means; she has taught me many things in the world of politics. It’s a difficult journey to be in the legislature; it’s a steep curve of learning, but if anyone is capable and able to excel in that environment, it’s definitely Angela. I offer her any kind of support and I look forward to working with her over the many years that I believe she will serve."

Among Romero’s goals is public education. "We want to make sure we are able to provide public education for the underserved communities," she said.

Romero was born and raised in Tooele, a member of Saint Marguerite Parish and a 1991 graduate of Tooele High School. Religion has always been important to Romero. She has taught religious education to 4th- and 5th-graders at St. Patrick Parish for the past three years.

"I was saying my prayers by the time I could talk," she said. "My grandmother always emphasized prayer, and in particular the rosary."

Romero’s interest in the political process began when she was a freshman at the University of Utah, she said. "I had the opportunity to meet [Utah State Senate Minority Leader] Ross Romero, who asked me to be part of the Chicano Student Association, through which I met community leaders Art Archuleta and Pete Suazo, who wasn’t an elected official at the time, but saw my passion for social justice."

As a college sophomore, Romero interned for Suazo in the House of Representatives, which inspired her to pursue a career in public service, she said.

In the meantime, she dropped out of college to have a baby; her son is now 16. "But my grandmother taught me perseverance and to never give up and that’s where my commitment to social justice comes from," she said. "She always reminded me that I am a woman of color, but it’s OK to be who I am, to stand up for what I believe in, and she gave me the spirit to advocate for people who are marginalized."

Romero graduated from the University of Utah in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in Chicano studies. She received a master’s degree in public administration in 2010. She received the 2011 Humanitarian Award from the Inclusion Center for her work in social justice.

She is a board member of the People’s Market, a local nonprofit organized to encourage people to shop locally. In addition, she is active in the Utah Coalition of La Raza, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for Hispanics in Utah.

She is also a former vice-chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Commission, "and through these organizations, I am committed to speak for those without a voice," she said. "As part of Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson’s administration in 2001, I was appointed to oversee the youth city programs. My job was to introduce youth to the political process and our goal was to provide after school opportunities and civic engagement for young people across the city."

She is currently the program manager for the Sorenson Unity Center. Her job is to provide community programming for Salt Lake City residents, with a particular focus on individuals living in the Glendale, Poplar Grove and Rose Park areas.