Sen. Kirsten Engel/Campaign photo
By Jeremy Duda Arizona Mirror
Democratic state Sen. Kirsten Engel is resigning from the legislature to focus on her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Engel submitted her resignation to Senate President Karen Fann on Wednesday morning. She represented District 10, which covers eastern and central Tucson. She was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2016 and served two terms before being elected to the Senate last year.
“After much consideration, I have decided to step down from the State Senate to fully commit my time, energy, and focus to my campaign to continue to serve the people of Southern Arizona in the U.S. Congress,” Engel said in a press statement. “I know how much work it will take to win this district, and I’m ready to take on that challenge whole-heartedly.”
Under state law, three candidates to replace Engel will be chosen by the district’s precinct committeemen, who are elected, voting members of a political party’s legislative district organization. The Pima County Board of Supervisors will select a new senator from among those three candidates.
Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, D-Tucson, filed campaign paperwork to run in 2022 for the District 10 Senate seat last month.
