MEET JJ
My name is JJ Martinez, and I'm running for Phoenix City Council in District 5 because our community deserves so much more.
I’m a proud Arizona native and have spent most of my life in Maryvale. My mom and dad raised us in the West Valley, instilling in us the values of hard work, perseverance, and community. She taught us that we must always lend a helping hand to others whenever we can.
After graduating from Maryvale High School in 1990, I began my public service journey as a Phoenix Police Officer, becoming the youngest recruit in my class at just 20 years old. Serving my community brought me fulfillment and purpose, knowing I was making our neighborhood safer for everyone. Over my 26-year career as a first responder, I had the honor of patrolling the Maryvale, South Mountain, and Estrella Mountain Precincts, being part of the Neighborhood Response Unit, serving as a Domestic Violence Detective, aiding individuals facing the traumas of domestic violence in their household.
My most fulfilling role was as a School Resource Officer (SRO), where I mentored and educated students. While serving as an SRO, I saw a troubling issue with dirty drug needles on the campus where our community’s kids played. To address this, I organized neighborhood cleanups, spearheaded a mural project, and helped improve campus lighting. I brought the community together to tackle this serious problem.
In 2020, I retired after 26 years of service but continued contributing as a Reserve Officer in the Training Bureau, helping train recruits and in-service personnel.
Now that I’m an empty nester, I give back to my community through volunteering and supporting first responder-related causes. I enjoy spending time with my son and daughter and taking care of my mom—family means everything to me.
I’m running for the Phoenix City Council because I can no longer sit on the sidelines while our community deals with high crime, rising homelessness, the fentanyl epidemic, and a lack of affordable housing. All while no action is being taken to fix these issues. As your Councilman, I will tackle these issues head-on, always keeping the community’s best interests at heart. I commit to fighting for what is right and what benefits those who call Maryvale our home.
We can do this for our community, but we need to do it together.
