Rep. Athena Salman

State Representative Athena Salman is born and raised in Arizona to a first generation-American family from Mexico, Germany, and Palestine. Athena's advocacy started over a decade ago when radical right lawmakers enacted steep budget cuts to public education. Prior to being elected, she worked on higher education accessibility, healthcare affordability, gender and LGBTQ equity, and protecting our freedom to vote. She fought corporate greed as a union shop steward, empowered girls working at a major nonprofit, and built support for early childhood development in the southeast valley. Athena successfully passed a law to guarantee feminine hygiene products to women in prison and end the shackling of pregnant people. Athena received Tempe's MLK Diversity Award, Phoenix New Times' Best Politician, and The Arizona Republic's Top 10 Newsmakers to Watch.

Athena was the first in her family to graduate from college, finishing Magna Cum Laude from Arizona State University with degrees in Economics and Political Science. She has previously served as the House Democratic Whip and the Ranking Member on the Government and Elections Committee, and she has been a member on the Education Committee and Rules Committee. She is currently the Ranking Member on the Appropriations Committee. She is also a mother to a beautiful baby girl.