Phoenix Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari on Tuesday announced her intention to run for Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District.

Ansari is the youngest woman ever elected in Phoenix City Council history and the first Iranian-American elected to public office in the state of Arizona. 

“The people I currently represent in Arizona’s 3rd District are honest, hardworking, and deserve a level playing field,” Ansari said in a statement. “They understand the damning effect of inaction and they don’t have the luxury of waiting for incremental change. From my time serving as a policy advisor at the United Nations to my current role on the Phoenix City Council, I’ve committed my life to taking on corporate polluters, corrupt special interests, and tired, ineffective policies."

Arizona's 3rd Congressional District currently is represented by Democrate Ruben Gallgo, who announced earlier this year he will run for U.S. Senate.

As a member of the Phoenix City Council, Ansari has worked for various programs including housing affordability, climate action, reproductive freedom and good jobs. She built a coalition to unanimously pass the city’s first Transportation Electrification Action Plan.

In addition, she successfully pushed for more than $100 million dollars for new emergency shelter beds, affordable housing, and mental and behavioral health services. More recently, Ansari helped pass a new city policy that bans landlords from discriminating against renters or buyers based on their source of income, such as housing vouchers.