Arizona Rep. Bravo chosen to fill Raquel Terán’s Senate seat

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona House Rep. Flavio Bravo will take over the state Senate seat left vacant by former Democratic Sen. Minority Leader Raquel Terán.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors announced its appointment of Bravo to the position Monday in a news release.

Terán resigned to run for U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego’s congressional seat. Gallego is eying a run against U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in 2024. In March, the Arizona Senate Democratic Caucus announced Sen. Mitzi Epstein as Senate minority leader after an organizational meeting.

The legislative district Bravo will now represent includes parts of west Phoenix and Glendale.

Bravo, who began serving as a state representative in January, was chosen from a list of three Democratic candidates.

This is the second state legislative appointment the county board has had to make in three days but with much less attention.

On Friday, expelled Republican lawmaker Liz Harris failed to regain her seat in the House.

The Board of Supervisors instead selected Republican Julie Willoughby to replace her.

Harris was kicked out last month in a bipartisan vote for organizing a presentation where an Arizona insurance agent made unsubstantiated accusations that a wide range of politicians, judges and public officials of both parties took bribes from a Mexican drug cartel.