By Brent Ruffner
Twitter: @AzNewsmedia

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appointed a Scottsdale attorney Wednesday to fill the supervisor seat left by Steve Chucri for District 2.

Board members unanimously voted to appoint Thomas Galvin, an attorney at Scottsdale- based Rose Law Group, to the District 2 seat, which covers portions of Apache Junction, Carefree, Cave Creek, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Scottsdale and the Salt River Indian Community.

Galvin, who has been with Rose Law Group since March 2015, has expertise in real estate entitlements, zoning issues, land-use, planning, renewable energy and water law, according to his resume.

He worked in a chief of staff role at the Arizona Corporation Commission before he moved to the position at Scottsdale’s Rose Law Group.

Galvin grew up in New York City and has an undergraduate degree in history from Holy Cross College in Worcester, Mass. and a law degree from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

In all, there were 22 applicants who applied for the position.

According to county Communications Director Fields Moseley, board members interviewed seven final applicants on Dec. 3. The District 2 seat had been left open after Chucri announced he would resign following a recording emerged of him criticizing his Republican colleagues for opposing an audit of the 2020 election, according to an Associated Press story. Chucri first took office in January 2013. His resignation was effective Nov. 5.

As of Nov. 2, there were 10 applicants who applied for the vacancy. That number ballooned to 22 applicants by Monday, Nov. 8 — the last day the board took resumes.

On Wednesday, board members moved the agenda item of the appointment to first in the pecking order of the regular meeting.

Bill Gates, supervisor for District 3, said Galvin is “a student of life” and his involvement on “many issues” in the Valley. Gates made the motion to appoint Galvin before the final vote.

“Tom is in the best position to go out there in the community and represent the interests of his constituents,” Gates said. “...He did his homework and he is ready to hit the ground running — to take on tough issues.”

Gates said he was “wildly impressed” by the pool of 22 candidates who applied. He said “any one” of the seven final applicants could have done the job and that he felt “extremely comfortable” with Galvin’s selection.

On Dec. 6, the board discussed the potential appointment in a closed executive session before Wednesday’s vote.

“We are selecting a colleague, we know this job,” Gates said. “(Galvin) was the best person out there to represent this district.”

About 1 p.m., the board reconvened from its morning meeting to swear in the new appointed official.

In a press conference following the swearing in ceremony, Galvin was asked about the 2020 election in Maricopa County that has been the subject of controversy since an audit began after people questioned its results.

He said Maricopa County has been the “gold standard at performing and running” elections.

“Joe Biden won a free and fair election in Maricopa County, the state of Arizona

and the United States of America,” Galvin said. “I understand that some people are never going to be satisfied with what they hear about the election. But I know the facts. I trust the men that are standing behind me (the board of supervisors), I trust Stephen Richer, the recorder and I trust the election workers who work for Maricopa County. ...The facts are the election went the way that it went and I’m very confident that next election will be run just as smoothly, too.”

Galvin seemed eager and said he was “excited” to take on his new role.

He said he wants to tackle issues such as housing and how to deal with water conservation.

The governing body used Arizona state law, which covers vacancies in state or county offices, to guide how it filled the District 2 seat. The law requires that someone of the same political party be appointed.

According to the statute, if the vacancy occurs within the first two years of the term, and before the date on which a nomination paper is required to be filed as prescribed by (the statute), a primary election shall be held.”

Chucri was reelected in November 2020.

Galvin likely will serve until December 2022 and in the press conference, he said he plans to run in the next general election. The next Arizona primary election is scheduled for August 2022.

“I absolutely plan to run and I plan to win.”

Brent Ruffner
Lead News Reporter | Daily Independent
@AzNewsmedia

BRuffner@iniusa.org

Journalism has fascinated Brent Ruffner since junior high school.

Since 2001, his stories have been published in newspapers from the Albuquerque to the Arizona and he has always had a knack for making sure his facts are right and his words are to the point. 

Growing up, Brent watched as sports reporters covered his beloved Phoenix Suns, a team he followed since Charles Barkley first arrived in Phoenix via trade in 1992. Sports reporting was a dream back then.

But after gaining some writing experience, Brent found a love for news instead of covering different types of sports. In 2008, he moved to New Mexico and covered crime, schools and city beats all while holding elected officials accountable. 

He covered stories that ranged from a DEA drug bust gone bad to an award-winning story on school lunches. 

In Arizona, Brent was a freelance writer who covered everything from the importance of citrus in the state to Esteban owning a store in downtown Prescott. 

Brent is a 2007 graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.