Mayra Mendoza is an Argentine politician who served as a National Deputy from 2011 to 2019 and is currently the Mayor of Quilmes, representing the Frente de Todos coalition.
Early Life
She was born into a family with ties to the Radical Civic Union. As a teenager, she taught support classes at a community soup kitchen in her hometown. In 2006, she became a founding member of La Cámpora, a political youth organization aligned with Kirchnerism. By 2011, she had risen to become the only woman on its national leadership council.
In June 2008, she had already been appointed Secretary of Organization. She also played a role in founding the Juventud Peronista (Peronist Youth) in the Buenos Aires Province. In 2010, she opened a grassroots unit in her local area.
Political Career
Her first political role was working with Quilmes city councilor Oscar Batallés. She later worked as an advisor to Radical Senator José Eseverri, and also held positions at the Palermo Racetrack and the Municipality of Zárate. Within the Justicialist Party, she has served as Secretary for Women’s Affairs.
In mid-2009, Mendoza was appointed Manager of Institutional Relations at ANSES (National Social Security Administration). In December 2011, she assumed office as a National Deputy representing Buenos Aires Province. She was reelected in 2015.
In 2019, she was nominated as a candidate for the mayoralty of Quilmes. She won the internal party primary with 54.21% of the vote and was elected Mayor on October 27, 2019, with 49.47% of the popular vote—becoming the first woman to govern the district.