Richfield elects first Latina mayor in Minnesota history

Councilmember Maria Regan Gonzalez is new mayor-elect

Newly elected Richfield Mayor Maria Regan Gonzalez comes from a family of firsts.

Her aunt was the first in her family to go to school and get her master’s degree in teaching and traveled the world instead of work on the family farm. Gonzalez’s mother was the first person in her region where she grew up in Wisconsin to provide culturally appropriate services for victims of domestic and sexual abuse.

“I’ve had a long history of strong women in my family,” Gonzalez said. “Women leaders, whether it’s my mom or my aunt who were the first in their own right.”

Gonzalez was the first to get her four-year college degree in her family.

“My mom just recently graduated with her undergraduate degree in social work this year,” Gonzalez said.

This past election day Nov. 6, Gonzalez became the first mayor of color in Richfield and the first Latina mayor in the state. She received 96 percent of the vote, running unopposed for the mayor seat. 

However, she said she is only one of the youngest mayors.

“A small town in Minnesota elected a baby mayor, so I think it’s more appropriate to say one of the youngest mayors,” Gonzalez said. In 2013, Dorset, Minnesota, an unincorporated community in Hubbard County with a population of approximately 25, elected 3-year-old Robert “Bobby” Tufts as mayor.

Gonzalez grew up with two cultures with her native-Minnesotan father and mother who immigrated from Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, a city adjacent to Mexico City, Mexico.

“My dad is from Mora, Minnesota, and he grew up with an Irish-Swedish immigrant family that were dairy farmers, and my mom was born in Mexico,” Gonzalez said. “I actually think my identity, as someone who comes from these two drastically different worlds, is a really perfect fit to lead Richfield.”

Gonzalez said Richfield is an amalgam of cultures and identities.

“As we change and grow, having a leader who can be inclusive of those different perspectives and help bridge divides across difference is huge. It’s extremely important in building an inclusive and welcoming city.”

While she has been actively running her campaign to become the first Latina mayor, Gonzalez has been working on her master’s degree in public health, working full time as Senior Project Manager at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota to advance their Corporate Social Responsibility strategy bridging health interventions at the intersection of business and community needs and interests and contributing to decision making for the city of Richfield in her role as a city council member. 

Gonzalez said Councilmember Edwina Garcia has been her number one supporter and role model throughout her mayoral campaign.

“I also think we have a long and strong history of female leadership in Richfield with Debbie Goettel as our first female mayor, but also the women who started and keep the League of Women Voters going,” Gonzalez said.

“They started our first planning commission and lead the transition of a septic sewer system to a city sewer system.”

During her campaign, Gonzalez said what has meant most to her is the support of the Latina community. She said she stopped by her neighbor’s house, who was more than ecstatic she was running for office as it would be thier first time voting.

“They asked me to help walk them through the ballot because they had never done it before,” Gonzalez said.

“So I went to their house and they made a ‘Maria for Mayor’ sign and put out cookies and coffee, saying they were so proud and excited to know I was there.”

Gonzalez said of her time working as a council member for Richfield it’s been an honor for her to represent the east side.

“One of the things that’s most rewarding is being able to bring people together, from developers, residents across the districts, the city, from people across the community and to navigate change in a way that is going to have a more positive impact on our city.”

Gonzalez said she thinks a lot of people might take being the first of something for granted.

“Some community members don’t have firsts,” Gonzalez said. “It’s just been a given that they go to college, but in a lot of communities, you never imagine yourself in a certain role or doing something. And to be the first – you’ve broken that barrier.”