Jennifer Longdon, a champion for gun-violence prevention, resigns from Arizona Legislature

Mary Jo Pitzl, Arizona Republic
·1 min read
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State Rep. Jennifer Longdon, a Democrat representing central to north Phoenix, is leaving the Legislature effective Friday.

A three-term lawmaker, Longdon announced her resignation on Thursday.

An "amazing job opportunity" to work on health-care policy lured her away from the Legislature, she told The Arizona Republic. Her new employer, a nonprofit, has yet to announce her position, so Longdon deferred to the employer to go public first.

Longdon has been the Legislature's leading gun-control advocate, drawing on her experience as a victim of gun violence that left her paralyzed from the chest down and using a wheelchair. Her efforts at gun control have faltered with the Republican majority.

In her resignation letter, Longdon thanked her constituents for their support and lauded bipartisan efforts in the Legislature to make Arizona better.

"May the spirit of cooperation endure, leading to continued accomplishments that benefit the great state of Arizona and its diverse communities," Longdon wrote.

District 5 Rep. Jennifer Longdon speaks in support of Survivors Speak Arizona, hosted by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, at Wesley Bolin Plaza in Phoenix on Feb. 27, 2023.
District 5 Rep. Jennifer Longdon speaks in support of Survivors Speak Arizona, hosted by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, at Wesley Bolin Plaza in Phoenix on Feb. 27, 2023.

Her Democratic colleagues lauded her as "one of Arizona's most effective and compassionate leaders, both inside and outside the Legislature." They singled out her work on preventing gun violence and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities.

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Longdon served as assistant House minority leader in 2021-22. She is the fifth lawmaker to resign from the Legislature in its current two-year term.

Rep. Jennifer Longdon attends a House Ethics Committee hearing on Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton's hiding of Bibles in the House members lounge, at the Arizona state Capitol in Phoenix on May 25, 2023.
Rep. Jennifer Longdon attends a House Ethics Committee hearing on Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton's hiding of Bibles in the House members lounge, at the Arizona state Capitol in Phoenix on May 25, 2023.

The precinct committee members in Legislative District 5 will need to nominate three individuals to fill out Longdon's term, which runs until early 2025. Their selections will go to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, which will appoint one of the three.

Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on Threads as well as on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: @maryjpitzl.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Rep. Jennifer Longdon resigns seat for health-care policy job