INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA
Debbie Lesko, who will not seek reelection to Congress from her West Valley district, garnered numerous endorsements this week since announcing her campaign to replace Clint Hickman on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Hickman has announced he will not seek reelection in District 4, which covers a dozen cities in the West Valley.
Lesko last week thanked Hickman for his service.
“I wish you and your family many blessings in your future endeavors. Your work for the people in the West Valley will be remembered,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Since then, she has begun gathering the 1,500 signatures she will need to make the ballot.
Arizona congressmen David Schweikert, Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs have endorsed her candidacy, according to posts on Lesko’s social media site.
Joining them in support of her candidacy are several local officials, including Surprise Mayor Skip Hall and Peoria Mayor Jason Beck.
Lesko, a Republican from Peoria, declared Washington “broken” in a surprise announcement last year that she would be leaving the House of Representatives after four terms.
A crowded field has lined up to replace her in the GOP-dominant West Valley district.
When she announced this would be her last term in Congress, Lesko stated on X that she wanted to spend more time with her family.
“Spending, on average, three weeks out of every month away from my family, and traveling back and forth to Washington, D.C., almost every weekend is difficult,” her statement said.
“Right now, Washington, D.C., is broken, it is hard to get anything done.”
Cronkite News contributed to this report.
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