In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Rubio worked as a
policy advisor for Portland Commissioner
Nick Fish and Multnomah County Commissioner Serena Cruz, and as director of community affairs for Portland Mayor
Tom Potter. In 2009, she became the executive director of the Latino Network. She was sworn into office a few days before that, on December 28, 2020. On January 9, 2024, Rubio announced her candidacy for
Mayor of Portland in the
2024 election. She was endorsed by Oregon Governor
Tina Kotek in June. In September 2024,
The Oregonian reported that Rubio had received over 150 parking and traffic citations in Multnomah County since 2001, with her driver's license being suspended six times between 2001 and 2016 due to unpaid fines and failure to appear in court. Rubio lost an endorsement from labor union
Laborers' International Union of North America Local 737 following the report. Several days later, after
The Oregonian reported that Rubio had hit a parked car in a parking lot, transportation non-profit The Street Trust Action Fund rescinded their endorsement as well. Rubio finished second in the November general election, winning 40% of the final vote in the
instant-runoff election. After leaving public office Rubio was hired as executive director of Janus Youth Programs, a non-profit that runs programs for
at-risk youth, in summer 2025. == See also ==