Arizona House Minority Whip Melody Hernandez has decided to withdraw her candidacy for the state senate.
The Tempe Democrat made the decision to no longer pursue the position, citing “mistakes” that had jeopardized her candidacy.
In a statement posted on Monday morning, Hernandez acknowledged the mistakes he made that affected his chances of running for election to the Senate in LD-8. Realizing the importance of taking full responsibility, he made the difficult decision to step aside and allow someone else to assume the leadership role.
Hernandez has expressed her commitment to serving her full term in the House, despite the fact that six Democrats have already stepped down during this session.
According to the Arizona Secretary of State’s office, the representative did not provide specific information about the mistake. However, it was mentioned that there is a legal challenge regarding the nomination petition signatures. KJZZ reported that she submitted only a few dozen signatures, slightly surpassing the required minimum of 405. This suggests that she may not have enough signatures to securely qualify for the ballot.
In order for a write-in candidate to secure a spot on the general election ballot, they will need to receive a minimum of 405 votes. This is because the only candidate currently running in the July 30 Democratic primary is already guaranteed a place on the ballot.
Former Tempe Vice Mayor Lauren Kuby made the announcement on Monday that she intends to run for the seat as a write-in candidate. It should be noted that the petition deadline to appear on the ballot had already passed on April 1.
“It is crucial that we safeguard this State Senate seat (LD8) in order to ensure a rational Arizona,” she tweeted.
Lawmakers from Legislative District 8, which leans heavily Democratic, have witnessed a series of changes recently. The latest development involves the resignation of former Rep. Athena Salman, who was replaced by former Rep. Jevin Hodge. However, Hodge stepped down shortly after due to allegations of sexual misconduct during his college years. Now, Rep. Deborah Nardozzi has taken his place.
The district’s Democratic precinct committee confidently declared that they have the necessary local infrastructure to ensure that the winner of the write-in primary will successfully defeat any Republican candidate unfortunate enough to run in their District, as stated in a tweet.
The Arizona House operates with a narrow margin, comprising of 31 Republicans and 28 Democrats. However, there is currently one vacant Democratic seat due to the resignation of former Rep. Marcelino Quiñonez. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is set to select the replacement for this position on Tuesday, as stated in the board’s agenda.
