Alison Maguire currently serves as a councilmember for District 4 of Denton City Council. Maguire attributes much of her exposure to politics to her mother, who always made sure to vote in midterm and general elections. Her mother would explain who she was voting for and why. Her mother would vote for the person who could help the community as a whole, not just her personally. Growing up with a disabled brother and working as a special education teacher, Maguire’s mother was sensitive to issues of discrimination and was why she placed so much importance on the act of voting, as it was a way to make voices heard and change made. This focus on voting as influenced Maguire to be an enthusiastic voter as well.
Deciding to run for Denton City Council was a slow burn for Maguire. She had always been an enthusiastic voter but did not really get involved in volunteering until the 2016 election, which served as a wakeup call for her. The 2016 election made Maguire realize she wanted to be more active in preventing things like the election of Donald Trump from happening again the in the future, and so she began to get involved with some national campaigns, including Bernie Sander’s primary campaign in 2019 and 2020. However, national campaigns were not speaking to her like community ones, and when the opportunity arose to run against the sitting councilmember in her district, she took it.
When asked what she believed to be the biggest issues facing her community at the moment, Maguire said they were problems arising from the fact that Denton is growing quickly. The fact that Denton is growing quickly means that housing prices have increased rapidly, which makes it difficult for affordable housing to stay in the area. The growth of Denton has also been one of urban sprawl and car centric, which means transportation is difficult for those without access to a car. Maguire would like to see more affordable housing options in Denton, as well as transportation options that promote walkability, as these are the big issues that many Denton residents are facing at the moment. Homelessness is also another big issue that comes from the growth and increased pricing in Denton and is another issue Maguire wants to see her office combat with the creation of quality jobs in the area.
Maguire advises any woman who is thinking about getting involved in politics and activism to just do it. She acknowledges the fact that it is good to have training and be prepared for such a career, which can be obtained through getting involved with citizen boards and commissions, but also says that you should not have to feel like you are perfect to run because that is an unattainable goal. Through this advice, it is clear that Maguire is a constant advocate and champion of community politics.
