Democratic Rep. Charlene Fernandez, the former minority leader of the Arizona House, announced Thursday she’s stepping down to take a job with President Joe Biden’s administration.
Biden appointed Fernandez to be the U.S. Agriculture Department’s state director for rural development in Arizona. Fernandez, who lives in Yuma, has represented the 4th Legislative District stretching from southwestern Arizona to the outer reaches of the Phoenix metro area since 2015. The district is home to farms producing most of the nation’s lettuce during the winter months.
“I have had the opportunity to represent working families, teachers, farmers and so many more who have taught me the great need for continued action across our state,” Fernandez wrote in her resignation letter addressed to Reps. Rusty Bowers, the Republican House speaker, and Reginald Bolding, the minority leader. “I will continue serving those communities, with the same Democratic values, in a new capacity as I move on to a new chapter.”
Fernandez has deep ties to Arizona Democratic politics, having previously worked for U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, former Rep. Ed Pastor, and former Gov. Janet Napolitano. In the Legislature, Fernandez was a prominent progressive lawmaker and rose to be House minority leader steering the Democrats’ strategy and messaging.
She gave up the minority leader job after a disappointing showing for House Democrats in the 2020 election, which included the unexpected loss by Democratic Rep. Gerae Peten to a Republican in the same district as Fernandez.
Fernandez’s departure further shakes up the Legislature, which has seen an unusually high level of turnover this year with several lawmakers quitting for a variety of reasons or moving from the House to the Senate. She’s the second House Democrat to leave for a Biden administration job, following Arlando Teller’s appointment earlier this year as deputy assistant secretary for tribal affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Fernandez’s resignation is effective Nov. 15. Democratic precinct committee leaders in District 4 will nominate a list of potential replacements, with the final decision made by the Yuma County supervisors. State law requires her successor to be from the same political party.
Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
