Tucson Mayor Regina Romero is being considered for a position as deputy secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Biden, Congressman Raúl Grijalva confirmed Friday.

During a radio interview with Bill Buckmaster, Grijalva said he heard about a week ago that Romero was on a shortlist of finalists for the position and that she was “being seriously considered.”

A family living south of Sabino Canyon woke up to snow on the morning of March 13, 2021, and it was still coming down when a boy and his dog were ready to play.

He did not indicate when a decision would be made.

“It’s a position of national importance, but she also has a position of significant importance here in terms of being mayor of this city and all of the firsts that she has accomplished,” he said. “It’s a tough call. It’s her call. But I think there’s arguments to be made on either side of it.”

When asked what she might decide, Grijalva simply said, “I don’t know.”

“I don’t offer opinions and advice to other elected officials unless I’m asked,” he said. “At this point, that is her decision that she has to make. We’ll wait and see.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing.

Leading up to her election in 2019, affordable and equitable housing became a prominent focus in Romero’s campaign, promising to reenvision Tucson’s Housing and Community Development Department.

During her terms on the Tucson City Council, she also frequently championed inclusive housing policies.

The mayor’s office issued the following statement Friday:

“It would be an honor to even be considered for such an important position. However, Mayor Romero is focused on the job she was elected by Tucsonans to perform, and is concentrating all of her efforts on navigating Tucson through the pandemic.”

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