Paula Aboud
Encyclopedia
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
.
. She attended Tucson High School and earned a bachelor of arts
in English from the University of Arizona
. After receiving a teaching certificate, she taught English and coached girls' tennis
and volleyball
at Rincon High School
for several years. Afterward she followed her family in entering the real estate
field for five years, before relocating to Waterville, Maine
, where she coached college tennis and squash
at Colby College
. An illness in her family led her to return to Tucson to work as property manager for her family's real estate business.
. On January 3, 2006 she was appointed to the Arizona State Senate by the Pima County
Board of Supervisors
, following the resignation of Gabrielle Giffords
, who stepped down to run for the United States House of Representatives
. She represents the 28th legislative district, centering on Tucson
.
Following her appointment, she was elected in her own right later in 2006. In the Democratic primary election on September 12, she saw off a challenge from State Representative
Ted Downing, and faced no Republican
opponent in the general election. She was re-elected unopposed in 2008 and faced only independent challengers in 2010 (including Ted Downing), prevailing easily.
, Aboud's partner is Terri Berg. She is one of five openly
LGBT
members of the Arizona State Legislature, serving alongside Senators Jack Jackson, Jr.
(D–Window Rock), Robert Meza
(D–Phoenix) and Kyrsten Sinema
(D–Phoenix), as well as Representative Matt Heinz
(D–Tucson). Her 2006 campaign won the backing of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician who is currently a member of the Arizona Senate
Arizona Senate
The Arizona Senate is part of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. The Senate consists of 30 members representing an equal amount of constituencies across the state, with each district having average populations of 219,859 . Members serve two-year terms with...
, representing the 28th District. 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...
, she serves as the Senate's minority whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
.
Early life
Aboud was born in Tucson, ArizonaTucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. She attended Tucson High School and earned a bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English from the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. After receiving a teaching certificate, she taught English and coached girls' tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
at Rincon High School
Rincon High School
Rincon High School is a public high school in Tucson, Arizona. The school serves about 1,300 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Tucson Unified School District . Since 1985, the campus has been shared with University High School, a separate accelerated institution. Courses from each school can be...
for several years. Afterward she followed her family in entering the real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
field for five years, before relocating to Waterville, Maine
Waterville, Maine
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The population was 15,722 at the 2010 census. Home to Colby College and Thomas College, Waterville is the regional commercial, medical and cultural center....
, where she coached college tennis and squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
at Colby College
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college located on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813, it is the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the United States...
. An illness in her family led her to return to Tucson to work as property manager for her family's real estate business.
Political career
In addition to her professional career Aboud was a long-time activist for the Tucson Democratic PartyDemocratic 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...
. On January 3, 2006 she was appointed to the Arizona State Senate by the Pima County
Pima County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.3% White*3.5% Black*3.3% Native American*2.6% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.7% Two or more races*12.4% Other races*34.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
Board of Supervisors
County board of supervisors
The Board of Supervisors is the body that supervises the operation of county government in all counties in Arizona, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Sussex County, New Jersey as well as a handful of counties in New York...
, following the resignation of Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Dee "Gabby" Giffords is an American politician. A Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, she has represented since 2007. She is the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress...
, who stepped down to run for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. She represents the 28th legislative district, centering on Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
.
Following her appointment, she was elected in her own right later in 2006. In the Democratic primary election on September 12, she saw off a challenge from State Representative
Arizona House of Representatives
The Arizona House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its members are elected to two-year terms with a term limit of four consecutive terms...
Ted Downing, and faced no Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
opponent in the general election. She was re-elected unopposed in 2008 and faced only independent challengers in 2010 (including Ted Downing), prevailing easily.
Personal life
A lesbianLesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, Aboud's partner is Terri Berg. She is one of five openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
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...
members of the Arizona State Legislature, serving alongside Senators Jack Jackson, Jr.
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), Robert Meza
Robert Meza
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...
(D–Phoenix) 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 Representative 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). Her 2006 campaign won the backing of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is an American political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of openly LGBT public officials in US political life.The Victory Fund was founded in 1991...
.
External links
- Senator Paula Aboud - District 28 official State Senate website
- Paula Aboud for State Senator official campaign website
- Profile at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- Follow the Money - Paula Aboud