Democratic Rep. Deborah Nardozzi is now representing Arizona 8th Legislative District in the state House of Representatives after being sworn in on Thursday morning.
She was appointed by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to fill the vacancy left by former Rep. Jevin Hodge, who resigned from the position in March after sexual misconduct claims from college surfaced in the Arizona Republic, The Center Square reported.
“It is an honor to be chosen as the next Representative for Arizona Legislative District 8, and I am committed to serving our community with integrity and an unwavering dedication to advocating for the needs of our constituents,” Nardozzi said in a statement.
She is a resident of Scottsdale and runs a consulting agency, according to a news release. At this stage in the session, she would not get the opportunity to introduce any bills of her own but would be able to take part in the remaining votes.
“Deborah Nardozzi has been committed to the success of other Democratic candidates and issues for several years, in addition to her impressive small business career. Now we are thrilled to have her deep well of experience as part of our team for the remainder of the year, and for a very important part of our session,” House Democratic Leader Lupe Contreras said. “Our caucus is 29 strong as we head into budget negotiations that will impact the lives of everyone in our state.”
Hodge was only in office for about a month and a half, as he was the replacement for former Rep. Athena Salman, who left the House to become the director of Arizona Campaigns for Reproductive Freedom.
“Arizona law requires us to appoint a person from the same political party as the person who previously vacated the office. We did so today,” Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Thomas Galvin, a Republican, said in a statement on Wednesday. “I wish Deborah Nardozzi well in her endeavor to represent Legislative District 8 at the State Capitol.”
According to KJZZ, the lawmaking body could be only meeting weekly soon as budget negotiations with Gov. Katie Hobbs’ office kick off.