Robert Meza
Encyclopedia
Robert Meza is an American politician from Phoenix, Arizona
who has served as a member of the Arizona State Senate since January 2011.
A Democrat
, he represents the reliably Democratic 14th district which covers parts of central and west Phoenix. He was first elected in 2002 and won re-election in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Term limit
s prevented him from seeking a fifth House term in 2010, he ran unopposed for the district's Arizona State Senate seat.
In the 2009–10 legislative biennium, he served on two committees: Banking and Insurance, and Commerce.
After graduating from the University of Notre Dame
, Meza spent seven years in the banking industry, where he worked on small and commercial loans. He is currently employed by AGUILA Youth Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization that works with Arizona's Latino community.
He is openly gay
and serves alongside four other openly LGBT
legislators: Sens. Jack Jackson
(D–Window Rock), Paula Aboud
(D–Tucson) and Kyrsten Sinema
(D–Phoenix), as well as Rep. Matt Heinz
(D–Tucson).
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
who has served as a member of the Arizona State Senate since January 2011.
A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, he represents the reliably Democratic 14th district which covers parts of central and west Phoenix. He was first elected in 2002 and won re-election in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Term limit
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
s prevented him from seeking a fifth House term in 2010, he ran unopposed for the district's Arizona State Senate seat.
In the 2009–10 legislative biennium, he served on two committees: Banking and Insurance, and Commerce.
After graduating from the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, Meza spent seven years in the banking industry, where he worked on small and commercial loans. He is currently employed by AGUILA Youth Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization that works with Arizona's Latino community.
He is openly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and serves alongside four other openly LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
legislators: Sens. Jack Jackson
Jack Jackson, Jr.
Jack Jackson, Jr. is an American politician from Arizona. A Democrat, he serves in the Arizona Senate, representing the state's 2nd district in northern Arizona. The district contains part of the city of Flagstaff as well as the Navajo Nation, the Hopi, Havasupai, Hualapai and San Juan Southern...
(D–Window Rock), Paula Aboud
Paula Aboud
Paula Aboud is an American politician who is currently a member of the Arizona Senate, representing the 28th District. A Democrat, she serves as the Senate's minority whip.-Early life:...
(D–Tucson) and Kyrsten Sinema
Kyrsten Sinema
Kyrsten Sinema is a Democratic member of the Arizona State Senate, where she represents the 15th district. She previously served three terms in the Arizona House of Representatives from January 2005 to January 2011.-Early life and career:...
(D–Phoenix), as well as Rep. Matt Heinz
Matt Heinz
Matthew G. Heinz, commonly known as Matt Heinz, is an American doctor and politician from Tucson, Arizona. A Democrat, he is a member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 29th district. First elected in 2008, he took office on January 12, 2009.Heinz earned a BA in Chemistry from Albion...
(D–Tucson).