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Victor Soltero

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Victor Soltero
Member of the Arizona Senate
from the 29th district
In office
2003–2008
Personal details
Born (1938-08-06) August 6, 1938 (age 86)
Globe, Arizona
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMary
ResidenceTucson, Arizona
EducationPima Community College (attended)

Victor E. Soltero (born August 6, 1938) is a Democratic politician. He served as Arizona State Senator for District 29 from 2003 to 2008, and earlier from 1991 through 2000. He was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives from 2000 through 2003, and Mayor of the City of South Tucson from 1988 through 1999.[1]

Early life

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Soltero was born on August 6, 1938 in Globe, Arizona, and moved to South Tucson, Arizona around the age of four.[1][2] He graduated from Pueblo High School in Tucson, Arizona in 1957 and later attended Pima Community College.[1] Soltero worked as an aircraft electrician in the Arizona Air National Guard from 1956 to 1962 and a grounds maintenance field supervisor for the Tucson Unified School District from 1963 to 1991,[1] retiring from the latter following his appointment to the Arizona State Senate.[3]

Political career

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On December 8, 1980, Soltero was appointed to the South Tucson city council on a 4–1 vote, with one abstention, to fill a two-month vacancy left by the resignation of Frank Lopez.[4][5] He had previously served on several city committees and was on the Merit System Commission at the time.[4][5] Soltero was twice reelected to his city council seat.[6]

On May 2, 1988, Soltero was unanimously appointed mayor of South Tucson by the city council, replacing Dan Eckstrom, the 15-year incumbent who resigned to become a Pima County Supervisor.[6] Later that year, he inaugurated the city's new municipal complex and named it after Eckstrom to honor his service to the "square-mile city".[7]

In March 1991, Soltero was one of 15 applicants who applied to represent the 10th district in the Arizona State Senate, a seat vacated by Jesus "Chuy" Higuera due to his resignation amid a corruption investigation.[8] From there, Soltero was one of three finalists recommended by a six-member citizens' committee.[9] He was appointed to fill the State Senate vacancy via a 4–1 vote by the Pima County Board of Supervisors on March 29 and sworn in on April 1 along with Armando Ruiz.[10][11] In his first day in office, Soltero voted on 76 bills which had been backed up, including five campaign reform laws.[11][12] "It's a little difficult, but it's like getting into any other [new] situation," he said about his eventful first day. "At first it, it seems quite a bit more difficult than it actually turns out to be."[12]

In 1992, Soltero sponsored a bill that would have appropriated $250,000 for a southside Tucson health center for victims of Trichloroethylene (TCE)-contaminated ground water.[13][14] The TCE-contaminated area near the Tucson International Airport had previously been declared a federal Superfund site in 1983.[13]

In the 1992 election, Soltero ran unopposed in the Democratic primary[15] before defeating Libertarian challenger Arthur Kerschen in the general election.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Victor Soltero's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  2. ^ Watt, Joe (April 10, 1983). "5 seek 4 S. Tucson council seats Tuesday (II)". Arizona Daily Star. p. 44. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. He was born in Globe, but has lived in South Tucson for 40 of his 44 years.
  3. ^ Bustamante, Mary (March 29, 1991). "Mayor Soltero will replace Higuera (II)". Tucson Citizen. p. 20. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "S. Tucson enacts cable TV code; to ask bids soon". Tucson Citizen. December 9, 1980. p. 32. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "Victor Soltero appointed to South Tucson council". Arizona Daily Star. December 9, 1980. p. 34. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b Fedunak, Steffannie (May 3, 1988). "Soltero chosen as South Tucson mayor". Arizona Daily Star. p. 4. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Peña, Stella (November 29, 1988). "S. Tucson city complex, named after ex-mayor, opens". Tucson Citizen. p. 11. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Burchell, Joe (March 23, 1991). "15 applicants seeking to fill Higuera's seat". Arizona Daily Star. p. 7. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Burchell, Joe (March 28, 1991). "Panel suggests 3 finalists to replace Higuera". Arizona Daily Star. p. 1. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Bustamante, Mary (March 29, 1991). "Mayor Soltero will replace Higuera (I)". Tucson Citizen. p. 13. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b Reinhart, Mary K. (April 2, 1991). "Senate debut is busy one for Soltero (I)". Arizona Daily Star. p. 9. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b Reinhart, Mary K. (April 2, 1991). "Senate debut is busy one for Soltero (II)". Arizona Daily Star. p. 10. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b Reinhart, Mary K. (February 29, 1992). "Senate panel OKs $250,000 for southside center for TCE victims". Arizona Daily Star. p. 3, 4. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Kelliher, Kim (June 28, 1992). "Senate votes to fund TCE health center in Tucson". Arizona Daily Star. p. 18. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Kelliher, Kim (September 9, 1992). "Early legislative results show incumbents winning (II)". Arizona Daily Star. p. 5. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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