By Tara Kavaler | Arizona Republic
The effects of 2021’s “Great Resignation” may have reached the halls of the Arizona Legislature, with 13 lawmakers departing this year.
So far in 2021, one lawmaker has died and 12 voluntarily quit the positions to which they were originally elected to serve.
The Great Resignation, a phrase originating with Texas A&M University professor Anthony Klotz, has been used to characterize the trend of millions of employees leaving their current positions.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics announced in early December that 4.2 million Americans resigned from their workplace in October, down from an all-time high of 4.4 million in September. The life-altering changes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic have spurred many to take stock of what is important in their lives.
Members of Arizona’s legislative body seem to have been affected by this phenomenon as well, with some lawmakers leaving to pursue other careers and others departing long-held positions to pursue a higher office.
Below is a list of Arizona legislators who have left this year.
