The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has filled the open seat in the State House of Representatives for a Chandler-area district. 

The board appointed Julie Willoughby to fill the Arizona House vacancy in Legislative District 13.

Willoughby, a Republican, is a registered nurse with a degree from Arizona State University who ran in the 2022 Election to represent the district and narrowly lost to Liz Harris. 

Harris, a Republican, was removed from the Legislature in a bipartisan vote after she had brought in someone to testify regarding election security who made unsubstantiated claims about many people in in the Legislature.

Legislative District 13 covers a large portion of Chandler and some of Gilbert.  It starts at Loop 101 east to Lindsay Road, and from the Pinal County line north to Baseline Road, the press release said. 

 The district is part of Supervisorial District 1, represented by Vice Chairman Jack Sellers.

As required by law, the board selected Willoughby from a list of three candidates submitted by the Legislative District 13 Precinct Committeemen. 

The candidates had to live in the district and be a member of the same party as the person who vacated the office.  In this case, a Republican. 

“I would like to thank the PC’s from District 13 for selecting three qualified candidates for our consideration,” said Vice Chairman Jack Sellers. “I interviewed all of them about important issues such as Prop 400, homelessness, water, and elections. We take this duty seriously and follow a process that includes background checks and interviews so residents can be confident in the person chosen to fill the vacant seat.”

Willoughby will serve through 2024. The next election for seats in the Arizona House will be the 2024 General Election, the press release said.