Maricopa County Board of Supervisors picks Julie Willoughby to replace expelled lawmaker Liz Harris

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors chose trauma nurse Julie Willoughby to replace expelled lawmaker Liz Harris in a special meeting.

The 4-1 vote Friday followed a brief discussion amidst a small crowd and heavy security at the board's downtown Phoenix chambers. One Harris supporter shouted at supervisors after the vote, telling them they weren't following the Constitution or listening to the will of the people.

"I'm very excited to get to work," said Willoughby, 40, following her swearing-in at the state Capitol after the appointment vote. "I know we're going to hit the ground running. I'm excited to learn everything very quickly and get everything started and finished in a timely manner and be respectful to everybody and represent the district the best that I can."

Willoughby was one of three Republican candidates nominated by GOP officials to fill the House vacancy in Legislative District 13, which includes most of Chandler and part of Gilbert. The other two candidates were Liz Harris — who was the most popular pick by the district officials — and Steven Steele, a retired natural-gas worker and motorcycle-operator trainer. Willoughby lost to Harris in the November election by just 275 votes following a recount.

The four Republican members of the board voted for her appointment and the lone Democrat, Supervisor Steve Gallardo, voted no.

Board Vice Chair Jack Sellers, whose District 1 includes Willoughby's legislative district, interviewed the three candidates earlier this week and called them "prepared and professional." During those interviews, he and the candidates discussed issues including homeless, water, transportation, "and, of course, elections," he said before the final vote.

"All the candidates provided thoughtful insight on these topics," Sellers said. "Even though we have differing opinions on these issues, the conversations were considerate and cordial."

He acknowledged the appointment was "a bit different" because Harris was one of the three candidates.

"In my discussions with Miss Harris, she firmly believes her removal was improper and unlawful," he said, adding that she could seek other means to address that. Sellers said he read the Ethics Committee report on Harris and listened to her testimony before his decision, and that he gave weight to the fact that more than two-thirds of the Legislature voted to expel her before deciding on Willoughby.

Gallardo, in explaining his no vote, praised his four colleagues for their "courage" in pushing back on election denialism over the past three years. He noted that none of the candidates have made public statements against the "Big Lie" and backing the idea that recent elections were free and fair, and because of that, "I can't vote for them."

Harris, a first-term lawmaker, lost her job last month after an investigation revealed that she'd lied to the state House Ethics Committee and brought disrepute to the House by inviting a witness to give false testimony in a public hearing.

On April 12th, the day after the committee released a report with its findings, the House expelled Harris in a historic 46-13 vote. Though some lawmakers have resigned over the years due to the prospect of possible expulsion, Harris was only the second House member expelled since two were expelled at the same time in 1948. The House expelled Don Shooter in 2018.

Board of Supervisors criticized for taking time to make appointment

The five-member board, made up of four Republicans and a Democrat, was criticized for not making the appointment sooner.

The Republican state senator who represents Legislative District 13, J.D. Mesnard, said in a Senate floor speech Wednesday that rumors were flying that the supervisors stalled the appointment in an effort to compel the Legislature to pass unspecified legislation. A spokesman for the board denied the allegation and that the appointment had taken an overly long time in a subsequent letter to The Arizona Republic.

But the lack of an appointment over nearly three weeks did stymie Republicans in the Legislature from passing party-line bills, because 31 votes are needed to pass legislation and Harris' exit meant they had only 30.

The expulsion doesn't affect Harris' ability to run for office again next year. This week, Democrat Jennifer Pawlik, the top vote-getter in Legislative District 13 in last year's election, announced that she would not run for office again. That prompted speculation that Republicans — possibly including Harris — might have a better chance of winning both House seats in 2024.

The Supervisors still haven't announced when they will replace former Sen. Raquel Terán, who resigned from Legislative District 26 (which includes West Phoenix and part of Glendale) last month to run for Congress.

Reach the reporter at rstern@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @raystern.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Julie Willoughby appointed to Legislature to replace ousted Liz Harris