Gaelle Esposito: Passion and policy | Arizona Capitol Times

Gaelle Esposito was first attracted to Arizona politics as a high school student.

Esposito started working on campaigns at the local, state and national levels, including a couple of state superintendent of public instruction races and the recall against then-Senate President Russell Pearce.

That grassroots work has allowed her to build a career throughout the years lobbying for education and housing policy, civil rights and LGBTQ issues with Creosote Partners.

Answers have been slightly edited for clarity. 

How did you get your start in lobbying?

I first got involved in Arizona politics in high school back in 2004 because I was a very cool kid. I started working in political campaigns. I volunteered and eventually did some paid work for everything. You know, local to county to statewide and all of that kind of culminated in my work on the recall of then-Senate President Russell Pearce, where I kind of ran the signature collection efforts. And after that, I kind of got out of dodge for a little bit. I needed health care, I needed a little more stability. The reason I got involved in politics was because I was passionate about policy and how it impacted people’s lives, and particularly education policy. 

Some of the first campaigns I worked on were campaigns for superintendent of public instruction in 2006 and 2010. I wanted to leverage my grassroots campaign experience into the lobbying world. So I got a grant-funded position doing just that in Massachusetts with the (American Lung Association of the Northeast). And when that grant funded position ended, I applied for a job here. There was an opening with the (Arizona School Boards Association), and I was lucky enough to be able to come back and work there for five years. 

What attracted you to education policy in particular?

I was really first interested in education policy, because when I was in school — little did I know this would be the sort of high point of spending on education — (I saw) budgets with increased K-12 spending. But you know, at that point, we were still seeing the effects of an underfunded school system, and really, like the first signs of breakage, like a reduction in programs, in the arts and in music. These pieces of a well-rounded education were being set aside for what was, at that point, the high stakes testing structure of the (Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards). We were seeing a lot of attacks — it’s Tom Horne’s first go around. We were seeing attacks on dual language learners and Mexican American studies. You know, all of the sort of hits he’s playing again this time around. And I was tired of seeing that within the schools. I wanted to do something to help my classmates at that time, and I thought that was the right thing to do.

What were some of the biggest issues that you followed last session?

In the last few sessions, I’ve been very heavily focused on housing policy and civil rights. Those have been significant aspects of the work I’ve been doing that intersect with our schools, particularly in terms of how kids are treated and the books they can access. We’re just seeing so much of a negative and cruel focus on students who are LGBTQ+. I have spent a lot of time on this over the last several years, and I believe in 2024, we were fortunate enough to prevent a referral to the ballot. We saw young people come forward and tell their stories, moving the hearts and minds of Senator Ken Bennett, who stood up and said that the ballot isn’t the place for this. And housing has also been an issue very close to my heart, not just as a millennial, but as someone who’s been both a renter and a homeowner. I have seen the explosion in costs. I’ve seen the barriers to getting new housing, more affordable housing types built, and so I’m trying to get changes there. I’m very proud of the work that led to legislation legalizing casitas and middle housing. And you know, last year, working on refining and expanding that. Trying to get legislation that re-legalizes starter homes passed has been a big project that, you know, has been a contentious fight in each of these sessions. 

What were some of the most significant victories experienced last session?

We saw some big advancements in housing. We continue to see successful vetoes of bad policy around civil liberties. You know, it was a mixed bag, but there were some things I was very proud of. And I think last session was one where I definitely was feeling the shifts in the legislative makeup and how I think people are approaching trans people in this environment today.  So, I feel very proud of some of the legwork we were able to do, the connection we were able to build and some of the momentum there, and recognizing there are a lot of very hateful voices that are gaining traction. 

How has the Legislature shifted in the last few years?

You ask any lobbyist, no matter what their background, and they’ll tell you that the environment down there has gotten more toxic. Frankly, it’s harder to get people to talk to one another. It’s harder to bridge gaps, and people are more interested in what might get them on Fox News or Newsmax, or whatever new flashy thing is out there, than in the substance of what they’re doing. And, for me, that means I end up hearing a lot of deeply discriminatory remarks about me and my community, and that can be a lot to carry.

How does it affect you to testify and sit through some of those hearings as a transgender woman?

It wears on you. It’s tough not just to have your own personal experience ignored, but also to see the young people who give up a lot to come down there to share their stories, only to be ignored and have to sit through these things.

There’s a real disconnect, I think, once again, where these are folks who have their mind made up. These are folks who are just looking to get their media hit. And they don’t care about the costs. And it can be a very dehumanizing experience.

When did you come out as a transgender woman?

So I came out in … 2022. I came out to my close family and friends in January of that year. And came out publicly in July. I have been so moved by the warm reception I’ve received, not just from those family and friends, but even from some unexpected people. I think there’s definitely a community at the Capitol, too, that I know has my back, which is wonderful, and it remains the best thing I’ve done for myself. 

What do people misunderstand about being a lobbyist?

We have a kind of different approach at Creosote sometimes, not from everybody. But I think when the general public hears ‘lobbyist’ they think (of) somebody who is a hired gun for a big corporation, who’s just writing big checks to politicians in back rooms. And whoever writes the biggest check gets what they want. And there are certainly lobbyists who operate in that way. But we are a company that prides itself on being values based. We have principles that we may not always reach in the same way, but we can find agreement in a non-partisan manner. This allows us to build coalitions on issues like criminal justice reform and housing, and we’ve been very successful in doing so. I think this approach is not how people traditionally think about these things being done. And I’ve been very proud to do this work in that way.

So what do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy the people I get to work with every day. I get to work with some of, if not, the finest folks down there. And I get to work with clients who I truly believe in, and what they’re trying to do to improve my community. And that’s a rare luxury these days. So I am always grateful, but especially grateful for (Creosote Partners Founder Marilyn Rodriguez) and the partnership that I have had with her over these last almost eight years now. I am very lucky to be in business with someone like her.