Tucson ushered in a historic new era Tuesday night as the city seated its first council led by five women and its largest-ever group of LGBTQ+ members — a milestone celebrated with mariachi music, tribal blessings and a renewed call for unity at the Tucson Convention Center.

The all-Democratic council includes new members Selina Barajas, representing Ward 5, and Miranda Schubert in the Ward 6 seat.

Guests at Tuesday’s event were greeted by the music of Pueblo High School’s Mariachi Aztlán and tables filled with swag bags courtesy of Tucson Water.

Tucson Poet Laureate TC Tolbert kicked off the event with a poetry reading, speaking about unity and thanking Tucson for the safe space it has given them to live their life as a queer and transgender person.

“Tucson is full of people with expansive hearts and minds, people and leaders who reach across perceived differences and build bridges where they did not exist before,” Tolbert said.

The poem’s title, “At the Base of the Black Hill,” is a reference to Cuk Ṣon, the Tohono O’odham word from which Tucson originated. Tolbert said the piece was written to honor Tucson’s Indigenous connections.

“May we live our lives as homes of gratitude, that we may create the future here in the present in reverence to the past. May the names of every water, body, sky we’ve ever loved be the blessings that bind us to each other, the song that sings us back,” Tolbert said.

Tohono O’odham Nation Chair Verlon Jose delivered remarks in O’odham first, followed by English.

“This is a holy place. Tucson, Arizona, this city and the surrounding cities is on the lands of holy grounds, and we, the generations of today, have the responsibility to take care of the land and take care of the people,” Jose said.

Julian Hernandez, chairman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, thanked the council and its newly sworn-in members for sharing common goals with the tribal nations.

“We are collaborating a lot of because the common goal that we have is the same, I believe, as the same as the honorable and protecting the land, doing better for our community, and trying to strive make it look better,” Hernandez said.

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero thanked outgoing council members Rocque Perez and Karin Ulrich for their service. Perez was appointed to replace Ward 5 Council Member Richard Fimbres after he retired in May, before the election to fill his seat, and Ulrich replaced Ward 6 Council Member Steve Kozachik, who left in 2024 to take a job with Pima County.

Perez said serving on the council in his short term was an honor and that he hopes to work with council members again as a state legislator.

Ulrich was not present, but Ward 1 Council Member and Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz thanked her for her service and for the doors she opened by being the first openly queer person to serve on the City Council.

“It's important to say that, because it opened up, you know, pathways for more of us to get elected, to not be afraid, to be all of who we are in front of this very public stage,” Santa Cruz said.

She also thanked Perez for how quickly he adapted to his new role and for stepping up to take over the position.

Ward 3 Council Member Kevin Dahl, who won his bid for reelection in November, highlighted Perez’s dedication to public service.

“It's very exciting to see a young person such as yourself achieve so much so young. And I think you have a great path ahead of you for a long time,” Dahl said. “Most importantly, the thing that struck me about you is your dedication and advocacy to public service, public schools. I want you to never lose that spirit.”

Dahl reminisced about his friendship with Ulrich, saying she started as someone he could not agree with and is now someone he knows he can rely on any time he needs support.

“I wish her just all things good, because that is a dedicated public servant that has been lost,” Dahl said.

Newly elected Ward 5 Councilwoman Barajas was sworn in by her daughter, Sofia Luna Barajas, and her mother, Gracie Rodriguez. Barajas is the first woman to represent Ward 5.

Schubert was sworn into her Ward 6 seat by her wife, Maass, and by her mother, Debra Deatherage.

The ceremony moved straight into business, with the new members taking their seats at the dais for the first time. Barajas opened the meeting with a speech thanking everyone for their support and noting the gravity of the moment.

“Sitting here today is one of the greatest honors of my life, surrounded by you all — my family, friends, cousins, many cousins, neighbors and the community that helped raise me,” she said. “It is my privilege to serve as your City Council member for Ward Five, and the first woman ever to do so as a fourth-generation Tucsonan.”

Schubert thanked her team and everyone who helped her along the way, saying she can’t wait to see where the journey leads.

“We are putting together an amazing team at the Ward 6 office, and we're so excited to build collegial and effective relationships with the many city departments, offices and workers who make this city go,” she said. “They're dedicating their time and their talents to serving our constituents.”

Ward 4 Councilwoman Nikki Lee made a motion to nominate Ward 2 Council Member Paul Cunningham to replace Santa Cruz as vice mayor, with Schubert moving to nominate Santa Cruz for reelection.

Schubert’s motion passed in a 4–3 vote, with Cunningham, Dahl and Lee voting “no.”

Romero reminded attendees of the momentous occasion of a woman representing Ward 5 for the first time and the largest number of LGBTQ-identifying council members the city has ever seen.

She reaffirmed the council’s focus on building a safe, equitable and sustainable Tucson despite federal-level challenges.

“I continue to take bold action changing the systems that have led to historic inequities that were decades in the making,” Romero said. “We have identified the gaps in services and are filling those gaps with concrete solutions that have never existed before in the city of Tucson.”

She pointed to priorities including expanding housing options, supporting treatment alternatives for drug-related offenses and advancing safer, more accessible transportation.

Romero said these efforts reflect Tucson’s commitment to “choosing community over chaos” and working collectively toward long-term prosperity.

Emma LaPointe is a journalism, political science and German Studies major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at emma.m.lapointe@gmail.com.

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