A former state House minority leader has formally resigned, creating the fifth vacancy in Congress.

Rep. Andrés Cano (D-Tucson) sent his resignation Tuesday to state officials including Gov. Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and House Speaker Ben Thoma (R-Peoria).

A resignation was expected. Kano announced on May 6 that he was resigning after being accepted into the Harvard Kennedy School of Public Administration graduate program. The one-year program begins on his July 11th.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent the people of District 20 and serve as House Minority Leader,” Mr. Cano said in the letter. “After successfully completing his graduate studies, I look forward to moving on to the next chapter in his civil service career.”

Kano, 31, has served in Congress as a minority leader in the House. He had hoped to finish the legislature completely, but he can’t because it’s the longest session in state history and lawmakers are due to return from a month-long vacation on July 31.

Mr. Hobbes has fulfilled the promise he signed on May 14 to serve until the completion of the state budget. Kano, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018, also serves on the board of the LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund, citing SB 1070 as a primary reason for his appointment. Get involved in national affairs. The 2010 measure still requires police to check the entry status of individuals at stops.

Two of the state’s top Democrats since the inauguration have resigned. Former Senate minority leader Raquel Theran resigned on April 13 to run for Congress. Her replacement was Senator Flavio Bravo (Democrat, Phoenix), who moved from the House of Representatives.

Former Republican Rep. Liz Harris was expelled from the House on April 12, and former Republican Senator Steve Kaiser resigned on June 22.

The new House minority leader is Rep. Lupe Contreras of Avondale, a Democrat. Mr. Contreras served as an assistant minority leader under the Cano administration, previously serving in the same position as a senator until the end of his term. House Democrats elected Contreras in a nine-hour campaign session, with Rep. Alma Hernandez (D-Tucson) and Marcelino Quinones (D-Phoenix) also running for leadership.

Mr Hernandez said: Arizona State Capitol Times She continued to vote for hours after it became clear that she didn’t have enough support to be elected leader. She accused Mr. Contreras of insulting her during her meeting, and she accused Mr. Contreras of apologizing in front of her caucuses and because she had previously worked with him. She said she only changed her vote for

“I will continue to take leadership responsibility. It is clear that our caucuses are divided and there is much work to be done, but that we can get through it and do what we can to get a majority.” I look forward to it,” Hernandez said. “I will continue to work hard and find victories for the community, regardless of leadership.”

Other House Democrats also hinted at issues within the caucus at various points during the meeting. Rep. Lydia Hernandez (D-Phoenix) accused of concealing the Congressional Bible after Rep. said Democratic leadership had failed to act. other congressmen.

“There is a culture in this chamber that needs to change,” L. Hernandez said on June 13.

On April 25, a rift broke out among some House Democrats, unable to overrule Mr. Hobbes’ veto over the “tamale bill,” which would expand the types of home foods that can be sold in home kitchens. rice field. Despite initially passing the bill, most Democrats voted against the attempt to nullify it.

Democratic Tempe Rep. Melody Hernandez said she intended to vote against the repeal but declined because voters supported the bill, and said she was subjected to a “ridiculous amount of bullying”. , did not elaborate further.

M. Hernandez, co-leader of the caucuses, said on April 25, “Vote me out of office, vote me out of leadership. Do whatever you have to do. But I “Something needs to change in our politics.”

Cano’s replacement is currently in the hands of the LD20 Democratic District Commission and the Pima County Supervisory Commission. The committee must select three candidates to be sent to the board to replace her, and the board will appoint one of her three.

Democratic candidate Andrew Curley on June 30 submitted a letter expressing interest in a House seat in Kano’s 20th legislative district in the 2024 election. Curley told the Arizona Capitol Times on Wednesday that he is an assistant professor in the Department of Geography, Development and Environment at the University of Arizona and is interested in being appointed to the vacant seat for the remainder of his current term in Congress. admitted.

The LD20 Democrats have yet to announce when they will choose their candidates. State law requires him to do so within five working days of a vacancy on the board.

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