Martinique Chavez, daughter of Mayor Martin Chavez, is a sophomore who inherited her father’s zeal for politics. She’s double majoring in political science and broadcast journalism. Martinique has been surrounded by politics since she was three, and when her father hands the reigns over to Mayor-elect Richard Berry on Dec. 1, she is anticipating some major changes in her life.
Daily Lobo: Did your dad’s profession influence your choice of major?
Martinique Chavez: Well, my major is political science and I really love politics. I watch Nancy Grace all the time and she is my idol. I think that being on CNN is the best of both worlds because I’m a girl and I like all that glamorous stuff, but at the same time I’ll be able to talk about politics and the things that I am interested in.
DL: How has it been growing up with your dad as the mayor?
MC: He has been the mayor since I was three years old, so I was kind of born into a political environment. I didn’t notice that it was necessarily any different from anyone else because that was all that I was used to. The one thing that was a little weird was being known as the mayor’s daughter and having the stigma of that title. I’m really proud of my dad and who he is.
DL: How often do you get approached by people solely because of who your dad is?
MC: In high school, it was a lot more common because people know each other’s names and histories more. In college, I am not known as the mayor’s daughter anymore. When I’m not with my parents, I’m pretty anonymous. When I’m with my parents is when people recognize me the most.
DL: Have you ever felt limited in social situations by your dad’s profession?
MC: My mom has made sure that my little brother and I have had a completely normal life. Nothing is different from anyone else except the fact that my dad has a public job. I wouldn’t say that I feel like I can’t do certain things that normal teenagers do.
DL: How do you think things will be different now that your dad is no longer mayor?
MC: I think it’s going to be very different. There was a period of four years where my dad was not the mayor because he was running for governor, so I’m trying to remember those four years to see how it’s going to be now. I think that we are going to be spending a lot more time together which will be nice, because even though I respect the fact that he has a busy job and is a busy person, I think that family should always come first. So, now that he is not mayor, we will be able to be more of a close family.
DL: Is it odd seeing him in public situations in comparison to how he is at home?
MC: Obviously, my dad, when he’s giving press conferences, is talking about certain issues and he’s not going to be as laid back as he normally is. When he’s home with us he jokes around and we just have a typical father-daughter relationship.
DL: What do you like to do in your spare time?
MC: I go to school and I hang out with my friends. Since I’ve gone to college, family has been the most important thing to me. I like to spend a lot of time with my little brother and my mom. The most fun I have is when I’m with my family.
