Julie Willoughby appointed to replace expelled Arizona house representative

MARICOPA COUNTY, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on Friday appointed Julie Willoughby to replace ousted Rep. Liz Harris in Legislative District 13 of the Arizona House, which covers a large part of Chandler and some Gilbert neighborhoods.

During a special meeting, the board voted 4-1 to appoint Willoughby. Two weeks ago, she had been announced as one of three potential picks to replace Harris’ who was expelled for inviting a conspiracy theorist to a legislative event. Under Arizona law, the board must choose between candidates who live in the district and are a member of the party who vacated the office.

“I would like to thank the PCs from District 13 for selecting three qualified candidates for our consideration,” said Vice Chairman Jack Sellers. “I interviewed all of them about important issues such as Prop 400, homelessness, water, and elections. We take this duty seriously and follow a process that includes background checks and interviews so residents can be confident in the person chosen to fill the vacant seat.”

Arizona’s Family previously reported that Harris’ guest Jacqueline Breger alleged that high-profile politicians, including Gov. Katie Hobbs and House Speaker Ben Toma, took bribes from a Mexican drug cartel. All five ethics committee members said what happened under Harris’ watch was unacceptable.

Willoughby is a registered nurse and Arizona State grad who ran in 2022 but narrowly lost to Harris in the primary. Willoughby now serves until 2024.

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