Frank Pratt, longtime Arizona GOP lawmaker, dies at 79

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (AP) — Longtime Arizona Rep. Frank Pratt has died following a long illness. He was 79. Speaker Rusty Bowers announced Pratt’s death on Tuesday and called the Casa Grande Republican “an irreplaceable figure in the Arizona state Legislature.” Pratt was a farmer and rancher before forming a swimming pool construction business in 1986. Pratt had served in the Legislature since 2009, bouncing back and forth between the House and Senate. Pratt’s 8th Legislative District includes parts of Pinal and Gila counties. He must be replaced by a Republican.