Arizona Republicans largely welcomed the selection of Cody Reim to replace former Rep. and Congressional District 1 candidate Joseph Chaplik in the Arizona House. GOP leaders cast the Rio Verde Foothills small-business owner as a conservative fit for Legislative District 3 and a lawmaker likely to keep the seat aligned with the party’s right flank. Reim was appointed on March 17, 2026, by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in a unanimous vote after Chaplik resigned earlier this month to focus on his congressional campaign. 

Reim emerged from a three-person nomination list chosen by Republican precinct committeemen in LD3, which covers parts of Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Anthem, and north Phoenix. The other finalists were political consultant George Khalaf and former lawmaker Michelle Ugenti-Rita. Although the Arizona Capitol Times reported Reim received fewer precinct committee member votes than Khalaf, Republican elected officials quickly moved to unify behind the appointment once the county board made its decision. 

House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-29) signaled that Reim’s appointment was welcomed in a public statement congratulating Reim and saying he brings “a strong conservative voice to the Republican Majority” as House Republicans advance their agenda. The Arizona House GOP caucus echoed that tone in its own public messaging, describing Reim as “another strong conservative voice” joining the majority. Those reactions suggest Republican leadership sees Reim less as a caretaker appointee and more as an ideological and political fit moving forward. 

Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin (R), who nominated Reim, framed the choice by highlighting Reim’s local activism during the Rio Verde Foothills water crisis.

“It’s critical that we have people of integrity serving in the legislature,” Galvin said. “Cody Reim is a principled leader who has proven he will stand up and fight for his community.”

Galvin and other backers have emphasized Reim’s role in organizing neighbors and pushing for solutions when Scottsdale cut off hauled water access to the unincorporated community. 

The appointment also appears likely to preserve Chaplik’s ideological lane. Reim said before taking office that he had already asked to join the Arizona Freedom Caucus, the hardline bloc Chaplik helped found, saying, “One hundred percent. No hesitation.” For Republicans in LD3, that makes Reim’s appointment not just a replacement, but a continuation.