State Sen. Jamescita Peshlakai/Wikipedia
By Mary Jo Pitzl | Arizona Republic
State Sen. Jamescita Peshlakai announced her resignation from the state Senate on Wednesday, effective immediately, to take an appointment in the Biden administration.
The fourth-term Democrat from Window Rock is the 13th Arizona legislator to leave their seat this year, most of them departing since the Legislature adjourned its regular session in late June. Two of those resignations were due to House members moving to fill vacancies in the Senate.
Peshlakai shared her resignation letter on Twitter, saying she is joining the U.S. Department of the Interior.
“I will begin work at the federal level in the new year and will be more impactful for all of the western United States.” she wrote to Senate President Karen Fann and Senate Democratic Majority Leader Rebecca Rios.
Her departure will trigger yet another replacement process, with county officials from her sprawling northeastern Arizona district responsible for picking a new senator. By law, the new senator must be a Democrat, the same party as Peshlakai.
Peshlakai told the Arizona Republic that in addition to serving a wider population from a federal post, her decision to leave the Legislature was also driven by the low pay.
