By Jeremy Duda | Arizona Capitol Times
Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill Tuesday making it easier for elected officials to seek new offices without violating the state’s resign-to-run law.
HB2157 eliminates a law that deems elected officials to be candidates for another office as soon as 
they make a formal, public declaration of their candidacy. Under the bill, an elected official will only be considered a candidate for another office after filing nominating papers for that office.
Arizona’s resign-to-run law requires elected officials to step down if they become a candidate for another office before the final year of their terms. The law, which was approved by voters in 1980, was intended to keep politicians focused on their current jobs and prevent them from using their offices to help future campaigns for other positions.
But critics have assailed the law as toothless and ineffective. Elected officials can still file exploratory committees prior to the final year of their terms. And enforcing it has proven difficult.
