Arizona state senator leaving 'gridlocked' Legislature to run for Phoenix City Council
A state senator representing Phoenix will run for a spot on the City Council and has endorsed her seatmate to take her place at the Capitol.
Sen. Anna Hernandez (D-Phoenix) said in a statement that her ability to make an impact is limited in the Republican-controlled Legislature.
“Our Legislature is gridlocked,” Hernandez said in a statement. “My fight to end police violence, create real housing reform, support our unsheltered residents and fight against climate change can all be tackled at the local level in a meaningful way.”
Hernandez will run for Phoenix City Council in District 7. That seat is currently represented by Yassamin Ansari, the Phoenix vice mayor who is actively campaigning for Congress.
Hernandez says she will serve through the end of her current term at the Capitol. She endorsed her seatmate, Rep. Analise Ortiz (D-Phoenix), who will now run for the Senate seat in Legislative District 24.
To follow through on her run for Congress, Ansari must resign from her council seat by April 8, when filings are due.
Someone will then be appointed to fill Ansari’s seat. But Hernandez says she won’t run for the position until November, when the incumbent appointed to the council seat will have at least seven months of experience.
As for the seat Ortiz will leave behind in the House of Representatives, the lawmaker said she doesn’t know who is interested in running.
