PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona House Democratic Leader Andres Cano announced Saturday that he intends to resign when the current session ends.

The third-term legislator, representing much of the Tucson area, said in a statement that being accepted into the Master of Public Administration program at Cambridge, Massachusetts, was a “once in a lifetime” opportunity. .

“As a first-generation college graduate, I never thought an opportunity like this would come my way,” Kano said. “Simply put, I want to do more for the people of Arizona and our country, and I want to prepare for the next chapter of public service.”

The program starts in July.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors will select a successor to complete a two-year term.

Kano, 31, was first elected in 2018 and won again in 2020. 2022The House Democratic Caucus chose him as the minority leader last year.

Congress is expected to finish its work in the coming weeks. Voting on the state budget is set to begin on Tuesday.

Kano said Saturday that he is committed to “seeing the state’s budget process move forward to the end.”

He also plans to step down in June from his role as director of the LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund, an initiative of the Southern Arizona Community Foundation.

From 2012 to 2019, Kano served as policy advisor to the late Richard Elias, former chairman of the Pima County Board of Supervisors.

Current board chair Adelita Grijalva and supervisor Sharon Bronson have joined the Harvard program after a “meteoric rise” to Democratic leadership that began when Cano secured a county internship at age 14. issued a statement congratulating the acceptance of

“From a young age, Andrés understood that the power of government could be used to the fullest to provide opportunity and ensure equity,” said Grijalva. “He’s a force of nature, and Harvard better prepare. A whirlwind of positive energy is about to blow into Cambridge.”