Betty Villegas appointed to Tucson seat in Arizona Legislature

Betty Villegas will replace state Rep. Andrés Cano in the Arizona Legislature, the Pima County Board of Supervisors decided in a 3-1 vote Tuesday.

Villegas is director of South Tucson’s Housing and Community Development department and formerly served as an interim county supervisor after the death of Richard Elías. She’ll carry out the remainder of Cano’s term after the Tucson Democrat resigned on July 4 to attend Harvard Kennedy School to pursue his master’s in public administration. The two-year term will end after the November 2024 election.

Board Chair Adelita Grijalva put forth the motion to appoint Villegas as the new Legislative District 20 house representative. “Her leadership as a Pima County supervisor in 2020 for District 5 helped our community throughout the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said, adding that Villegas “has extensive professional housing and community development experience.”

Supervisor Steve Christy, the board’s sole Republican, voted against the appointment, while Supervisor Sharon Bronson was absent from the meeting.

Supervisor Rex Scott said as a former county supervisor, Villegas “knows the county’s priorities in the Legislature,” including its need for more affordable housing. Supervisor Matt Heinz also said he’s encouraged by Villegas’ experience promoting affordable housing efforts.

When a vacancy occurs in the state Legislature, Arizona law holds that the precinct committeepersons of the same political party and legislative district of the resigned member must nominate three qualified replacements to transfer to the Board of Supervisors within five days of the resignation when the Legislature is in session. Supervisors then vote on a replacement.

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Democratic precinct committee members in LD 20 had to ratify the vote they originally took on July 8 after the Tucson Sentinel reported LD 20 Chair Leslie Stalc initially refused to provide journalists the Zoom information to attend the meeting and that Pima County Democratic Party Chair Eric Robbins “acknowledged that the meeting might have been held in violation of public meeting laws.” The vote ratification took place on Monday, July 24, to comply with open meeting law.

“There was an issue that was brought up about the posting of the meeting, we were assured that it was done in compliance. But just to make sure, we had another meeting, a hybrid meeting yesterday to ratify the votes with 51 votes,” Grijalva said at the board meeting.

Democrats Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales and Rep. Alma Hernandez, the two other members of the state Legislature from that district, said in a letter that they want the candidate selection redone.

Villegas received about 26% of the 195 votes at the original July 8 meeting; Lourdes Escalante received about 18% and Elma Alvarez received about 17%.