Dr. Geraldine Peten was appointed to represent LD 4 in the Arizona House of Representatives in August 2017 and was elected in 2018. She is an educator and administrator with over 20 years of experience leading and improving primary and secondary schools in Arizona.
Rep. Peten is an educational consultant. She holds two Master’s degrees, and earned her Doctorate of Education at NAU. In the course of her distinguished career, she has been a teacher, principal, and administrator, and served as Superintendent of Fort Thomas Unified School District for two years. She has been active in Democratic politics since 2008, and prior to her appointment was an active member and leader of the LD4 Democrats.
As a legislator, Geraldine’s first priority is improving our schools and increasing education opportunities for Arizona students. In her first year in the House she cosponsored bills to bring more transparency and accountability to taxpayer-funded charter schools, increase the age of required high school attendance from sixteen to eighteen, and create a youth entrepreneurship program for young adults. Rep. Peten is dedicated to making Arizona the first in education, not incarceration. She’s cosponsored bills to increase the age of juvenile delinquency from ten to fourteen, and create county programs to allow drug users to surrender their illegal drugs and paraphernalia to law enforcement and seek drug treatment without the risk of arrest.
Dr. Peten has lived in Arizona for 25 years and currently resides in Buckeye.