Democrat Betty Villegas was sworn in
Monday afternoon to the Arizona Home of Representatives to fill a
emptiness induced when the previous chief of the Democratic caucus resigned
earlier this month. 

Villegas replaces Andrés Cano within the
Home as one of many two representatives for District 20, which is
largely based mostly in Tucson. Cano, who served because the Democratic chief till
shortly earlier than he resigned, gave up his seat to pursue a Masters Diploma at Harvard Kennedy College. 

“I stay up for working with all
of you. I do know that there’s a lot of labor to do,” Villegas stated earlier than a
group that included lawmakers, reporters, household and associates.

Villegas, a housing advocate who previously labored for Pima County, was chosen by the Pima County Board of Supervisors final week to fill the spot and joins an inventory of lawmakers appointed this session attributable to resignations and expulsions. 

“I’m changing any individual that may be very
close to and expensive to my coronary heart,” Villegas stated after her swearing in about
Cano, including that she knew him when he was an intern at Pima County. “I
know he was effectively beloved by all of you.”

Minority Chief Lupe Contreras welcomed Villegas to the “familia” and joked that the hug she obtained from Home Speaker Ben Toma can be her “final hug” from the Republican. 

“This isn’t [a job] that individuals simply
leap into. It isn’t the best factor to do,” Contreras stated, whereas
congratulating Villegas on her appointment. 

Villegas, a life-long Tucson
resident, will serve out the rest of Cano’s time period, which ends in
early January 2025. It’s unclear if she’s going to run for a full time period within the
2024 election; Villegas has not but filed a press release of curiosity to
search workplace. The one one that has declared an curiosity in looking for one
of the 2 District 20 Home seats is Andrew Curley, a Democrat.