Rep. Athena Salman is leaving the Arizona Legislature. See what's next

Corrections & Clarifications: A headline for a previous version of this article incorrectly characterized what Rep. Athena Salman will do when she leaves the Arizona Legislature.

Rep. Athena Salman announced Wednesday she will step down from her legislative seat to run an organization seeking to protect abortion rights in Arizona.

The four-term Democrat from Tempe will resign, effective Dec. 31, and step into a new role as executive director of Arizona Campaigns for Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly known as the National Abortion Rights Action League.

"We are one bad court decision away from a 160-year-old ban on abortion being reinstated in Arizona," Salman said in a statement, adding reproductive rights face the biggest threat in generations in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Salman said the organization will mobilize support for the current drive to get an abortion rights measure on the November ballot.

At the Legislature, Salman was outspoken in her support for abortion rights. She has received national and local awards for her advocacy for reproductive and civil rights.

"It has been the honor of a lifetime to be an authentic and compassionate leader for my community in the Arizona Legislature," she said in a statement. "I am forever grateful to my constituents and my supporters for your support, and deeply appreciate the love and encouragement of my friends and family. Together, we will make history."

She highlighted the fact that she is the first Arizona legislator of Palestinian descent. Salman was first elected in 2016.

Her departure creates another vacancy at the statehouse, where turnover this year has brought new faces to the Legislature.

The leaders of Democratic Legislative District 8, which covers much of Tempe, must meet to advance three nominees to replace Salman. The nominees must be Democrats, as is Salman.

Although she didn't identify any would-be successors, she did have one wish.

"I'm hoping the vocal nature of my seat will continue," she said.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will select from the list to appoint a new lawmaker to fill out Salman's term, which runs until early January 2025.

The next legislative session begins Jan. 8.

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.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Athena Salman to leave Legislature, focus on abortion rights measure