Raised in Riverton, shaped by a family that believed in hard work and service, and tested in the classroom and at city hall — Elena Vargas brings the 9th District's values to Washington.
Elena Vargas grew up in Riverton, the daughter of a public-school teacher and a small-business owner. She was the first in her family to finish college, then came home to teach in the same schools she grew up in.
Service is the value she was raised on. After years in the classroom, neighbors urged her to run for the Riverton City Council — where she built a reputation for showing up, listening, and getting things done for local families.
A career spent making local government work for the people it serves.
Spent a decade in the classroom and on the sidelines, mentoring the next generation of the 9th District.
Elected to the city council, where she balanced budgets, cut red tape for small businesses, and helped bring new jobs to town.
Led the effort to open new community health clinics and expand after-school programs across the county.
Elena and her husband, David, a nurse, are raising their two kids in the same Riverton neighborhood where Elena grew up.
It's that next generation — and every family across the 9th District — that drives her work: better schools, accessible healthcare, good jobs, and communities where every child can grow up safe and supported.
Where she stands →The 9th District is home. It's where I learned that service isn't a title — it's a responsibility.
Help send a proven public servant to Washington for the 9th District.