Andrés Cano for Pima County District 5 Supervisor

TUCSON, AZ – On the eve of the Pima County Board of Supervisors’ decision to appoint the next District 5 Supervisor, former Arizona House Minority Leader Andrés Cano announced the endorsement of over 250 community leaders, elected officials, and residents from across Pima County.

This latest demonstration of strong community support reflects Cano’s broad, countywide coalition and follows his April 4 application to fill the vacancy left by Supervisor Adelita Grijalva.

“I’m grateful to the Board of Supervisors for leading a transparent, community-centered process to fill the district 5 vacancy,” said Cano. “With deep roots in the district and a broad coalition of support, I’m prepared to bring trusted leadership, collaborative spirit, and tangible results to the Board from day one.”

Cano’s endorsements span a diverse cross-section of Pima County and Arizona, including former and current elected officials, neighborhood and business leaders, environmental advocates, educators, healthcare professionals, and nonprofit organizers.

Cano brings more than 15 years of hands-on experience in public service, with a proven track record of delivering results at both the state and local level. His accomplishments include:

• Serving as a community liaison to the late Supervisor Richard Elías in the District 5 office from 2012 to 2018.
• Representing Southern Arizona for three terms in the Arizona House of Representatives.
• Leading the Democratic caucus as House Minority Leader, where he negotiated historic state investments to increase affordable housing, expand child healthcare access, and protect Arizona’s air, land, and water.
• Currently serving as the City of Tucson’s Director of Federal & State Relations, overseeing the city’s legislative advocacy with federal, state, and tribal partners.

“Pima County is at a crossroads. With looming federal cuts, we must protect essential services and ensure every family has access to opportunity,” said Cano. “Our community is resilient—and I’m prepared to bring experienced, results-oriented leadership to the Board of Supervisors as District 5 Supervisor. I want to thank the Board for their consideration of my appointment.”

 Andrés Cano is a first-generation college graduate and lifelong Tucsonan who earned his Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2024. He currently serves on the boards of the El Rio Health Foundation, Literacy Connects, and the Rural Community Assistance Corporation. Cano has dedicated his career to advancing economic opportunity, protecting public health, and advocating for environmental sustainability in Southern Arizona.

Cano’s leadership and service have earned numerous recognitions, including the Richard Elías Public Servant Award from the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (2023), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Young Alumnus of the Year (2020), Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s “40 Under 40” (2017), Emerging Leader of the Year from Equality Arizona (2016), Gabe Zimmerman Emerging Leader Award from the Center for the Future of Arizona (2016), and the Hank Oyama Community Leadership Award from Amistades, Inc. (2015).