Maricopa County Supervisors Appoint Lucking to House Seat

Charles Lucking (D5) is the second Democrat House representative appointed by Maricopa County supervisors this year. Lucking, a civil rights and community action attorney, replaces Amish Shah, who resigned in January 2024 to run against Republican incumbent David Schweikert for US congressional seat CD1. Lucking had previously made a failed run to represent Ward 3 in the Phoenix Union High School District, losing to educator Stephanie Parra in the 2022 general election.

House Minority Leader Lupe Contreras (D22) released a statement in support of Lucking: “Arizona and our caucus has gained a passionate champion who is committed to use his legal expertise to address pressing social issues, including the housing crisis and environmental conservation. Deep roots and unwavering dedication to service, advocacy, and community empowerment will make Representative Lucking an impactful addition to our caucus.”

On February 7, 2024, supervisors appointed Democrat Sarah Liguori (D5) to the second District 5 seat after Jennifer “Jen” Longdon resigned to take a position with the nonprofit Abortion Finder. They also expect to appoint a replacement for the disgraced ex-Rep. Leezah Sun, who resigned ahead of her ouster by the House for ethics violations. They had appointed Democrat Jevin Hodge (D8) to replace Athena Salman on January 31, 2024. Hodge ran unsuccessfully against Schweikert for CD1 in 2022.

State rules mandate that the county supervisors appoint a replacement form within the same political party as the person vacating the position. Four Democrats have resigned since the start of 2024, prompting swift action from the County. These four appointments bring the total replacements to seven since the 2022 election for Maricopa County, plus one for Pima County. The only Republican replacement occurred on  April 12, 2023, when Liz Harris was ousted for allegedly promoting false testimony about election irregularities in 202o and 2022. Harris was replaced by RN Julie Willoughby (R13).