Terán was born in Douglas, Arizona. Her citizenship was challenged in court by an anti-immigration advocate in 2012, and again after her 2018 election.[2] The lawsuits were both dismissed.[3]
Terán was elected in November 2018 to the Arizona House of Representatives, and she assumed office on January 14, 2019. In 2021, Terán was elected chair of the Arizona Democratic Party.[5] On September 15, 2021, Terán was appointed to the Arizona Senate to fill the remainder of Tony Navarrete's two-year term following his resignation.[6]
The Senate Democratic Caucus elected Téran to serve as the minority leader of the Arizona State Senate, succeeding outgoing minority leader Rebecca Rios, in December 2022.[7] She stepped down as state party chair to focus on the position,[7] and stepped down as minority leader in March 2023, as she explored a run for the United States House of Representatives.[8]
In April 2023, after Congressman Ruben Gallego announced his intention to run for the United States Senate against incumbent Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Téran announced her candidacy to succeed Gallego in Arizona's 3rd congressional district of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2024 elections.[9] On April 13, 2023, Terán announced she was resigning from the Arizona Senate to focus on her congressional run.[10] In July 2023, the Working Families Party announced their endorsement of Terán.[11]
In 2023, she opposed Arizona state legislation to increase housing supply through faster permitting processes and less restrictive zoning regulations. She said that she wanted guarantees for affordable housing.[12]
