Well, today I heard that Barraza died at UMC.

I met Barraza years ago when he was a young staffer for Dennis DeConcini. I was shocked to learn that this man, in his twenties and only a year older than me, had already had a heart transplant. Despite these health concerns, he had no trouble working in the high pressure world of US Senate staffers, nor did it later keep him out of the rough and tumble of Nogales city politics. He worked for DeConcini and served a stint in the office of Daniel Inouye. He returned to Arizona and served in his native Nogales as city administrator as well as a partner in a local development company. He was appointed to the Nogales city council and was later elected in his own right.

He was sworn in as mayor this last January.

We’d like to extend our condolences to Barraza’s mother Jaimina, and his brother Marco.