Opinion: Rural communities deserve an administration that will invest in and fight for us

Over the past four years, rural communities across the country have seen renewed investments and growth through landmark legislation passed by the Biden-Harris administration. As the mayor of Superior and a fourth-generation Superior resident, I am witnessing a total transformation of the community I love due to these investments. 

My ancestors immigrated from Croatia, Ireland, and Mexico for the mining opportunities in this community. Four generations later, I am working to ensure that Superior continues to be a thriving economy for its residents and those joining our community for its rich opportunity. Our community’s recent success is partially due to the unprecedented federal investment by the Biden-Harris administration.

In the past few years, we’ve used this money to break ground on historic projects right here in Superior, including the renovated Superior Enterprise Center, which provides welding training to Superior residents. Its first class just graduated this spring. It’s been 24 years since Superior residents had access to job training programs right here in town. 

To be prepared for the ever-evolving workforce, our residents deserve to access training close to home, and funding from the Biden-Harris administration helps us provide that. This training will make Superior residents competitive applicants for the thousands of new jobs coming to Arizona through sites funded by the CHIPS and Science Act. Our community’s progress is just beginning. Soon, we’ll use Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding to begin the Queen Creek restoration project to update our waterways and better protect our environment.

These federal investments have helped us move forward in an unprecedented way and bring immense resources to rural Arizona. It’s been a lifeline, especially for rural communities like Superior, which don’t have the funding to tackle necessary projects like blight, workforce development, and renovating and updating schools. 

Because of Biden-Harris investments, we’re now able to do all of this and more. It’s a dream come true to have an economic comeback after the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic. I credit the Biden-Harris administration with listening to the needs of the American people to help us get back up off our feet. If any of this is repealed, our community’s monumental progress would be stopped in our tracks. 

The past four year’s investments are just the start, Vice President Kamala Harris has proposed unparalleled investment into rural communities like mine. Continued investment into our healthcare, education system, internet connectivity, agricultural growth, and manufacturing will help Superior stay at the cutting edge.

My residents are happy to see our community’s growth and comeback. We’ve retained our community culture while attracting new residents and seeing a population increase. Thanks to these investments, people feel more hopeful about the future of Superior than ever before. For the first time in our history, we have a diverse economy. People from my parents’ and grandparents’ generations stop me on the street to tell me how excited and thankful they are.

My family has been in Superior for over 100 years, investing in leadership and revitalization. I come from a proud Superior lineage, and I’m grateful to continue it. My children are fifth-generation Superior residents; I am hopeful they will have an economically strong and diverse community to enter the workforce and adulthood. 

It is my honor to serve our community by utilizing critical federal investments to improve the quality of life for Superior residents today and for generations to come. We can’t let our community’s progress backslide since we’re only just beginning. We certainly need to ensure that any federal leadership supports and strengthens all the progress we’ve made.