Arizona House Chief Of Staff Resigns Unexpectedly

Arizona House Chief of Staff Michael Hunter has submitted his resignation and announced that his last day will be February 14th.

Speaker of the House Steve Montenegro confirmed the resignation and was gracious in his remarks, saying that “Michael’s career has been defined by service—both to the House and to the people of Arizona. His expertise, discipline, and sound judgment have guided four Speakers through major legislative battles and victories. He has been a trusted advisor, a mentor to many, and a respected voice in our caucus.”

Still, resigning his important position less than one month into the session will present a challenge to the narrow Republican majority. Hunter was a longtime presence at the Capitol and had served as Chief of Staff since 2016. Now, Montenegro will have to replace him and his expertise.

One Capitol source said that “Montenegro has been very complimentary about Hunter and is grateful for his ability to make the trains run on time. But this is also a good opportunity for the Speaker to remake the position into something less powerful and less centralized, and that would be good for the House.”

Hunter’s resignation was triggered by a job offer with Christian Family Care that he felt he could not pass up, but others felt that the youthful Montenegro may also have been wearing out Hunter.

“Hunter may have been having trouble keeping up with the pace set by the new Speaker. I mean let’s face it, the agenda under Montenegro is a lot more aggressive than it was under Bowers or Toma. So that means longer hours and a much harder push.”

In his resignation letter, Hunter expressed his gratitude for his career at the House, writing “I have made many friends in my time at the House and all the career stops I made along the way. I hope to maintain those friendships long into the future.” Hunter pledged additional support to Montenegro as well, “Wherever I may be, I will remain available to help you and your excellent staff any way I can.”