Pima County supervisors pick Democrat to fill last remaining vacancy in the Legislature

Housing advocate Betty Villegas will be the newest state lawmaker, picked on a 3-1 vote Tuesday by the Pima County Board of Supervisors to fill a legislative vacancy.

Villegas, a Democrat, replaces former Rep. Andrés Cano, D-Tucson. Her appointment brings the 60-member House of Representatives up to full capacity just in time for the scheduled resumption of legislative business July 31.

Villegas brings a focus on housing and homelessness to the Legislature, supervisors said in selecting her from a field of three nominees.

"I'm incredibly worried about my homeless patients who go ... I don't know where," Supervisor Matt Heinz said of patients he treats as an emergency room physician.

Villegas is the housing and community development director for South Tucson. Previously she was program manager of Pima County's Housing Department before retiring in 2016.

She also serves on the county's affordable housing commission, a position that Supervisor Rex Scott said he hopes Villegas can continue even while serving as a state representative.

Scott also noted Villegas' tenure on the county board; she was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2020, a post she held until the term ended in 2021. She is a lifelong Tucson resident.

“She knows the county’s priorities in the Legislature and she knows who to follow up with at the county level," Scott said.

Board chairman Adelita Grijalva joined Heinz and Scott in choosing Villegas; supervisor Steve Christy voted no but offered no explanation. Supervisor Sharon Bronson was absent.

Villegas will serve out the rest of Cano's term, which expires in January 2025. She told The Arizona Republic Monday that, if selected, she would run for the full two-year term in 2024.

Cano, who was the House Democrats' caucus leader, resigned earlier this month to start a master's degree program at the Harvard Kennedy School.

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3 candidates were vying for position

The precinct committee members in Cano's central Tucson district earlier this month nominated three people for the post.

The other candidates were Elma Alvarez, an instructional specialist in the Tucson Unified School District and Lourdes Espinoza, the executive director of the Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras, or the Indigenous People's Alliance Without Borders.

State law requires that a replacement come from the same party as the person who vacated a legislative seat.

This is the fifth vacancy at the Legislature this year: Two Republicans and three Democrats, each were appointed by the supervisors in the home county of their district.

The turnover is driven by various factors, from the expulsion of Republican Liz Harris from the House in April to a quest for higher office to a desire to spend more time on family matters.

It has drawn attention to the replacement process, which some critics say gives too much authority to county supervisors. Sen. Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson, has said she would introduce legislation next year to return the appointment power to the precinct committee members in a lawmaker's legislative district, arguing the elected PCs are the closest to the people.

Others, however, say the PC ranks represent the extremes of the parties and the supervisors can act as a moderating influence.

Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on Twitter @maryjpitzl.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Betty Villegas appointed to Legislature by Pima County supervisors