Arizona State Senator Eva Burch, a Democrat from Mesa, has announced her resignation from office, effective March 14. Burch, who gained national attention last March for her emotional speech on the Senate floor about her struggles with fertility and her strong support for abortion rights, confirmed her departure in a statement posted on X.
Burch’s resignation means her seat in the Arizona State Legislature will need to be filled. According to Arizona law, the Board of County Supervisors is responsible for appointing a replacement. The appointee must be a member of the same political party as the departing legislator, ensuring the seat remains under Democratic control.
Burch was elected to represent Legislative District 9, narrowly defeating Republican challenger Robert Scantlebury by 2,811 votes. The Associated Press reported that a total of 135,333 votes were cast in the State Senate race.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to appoint a successor in the coming weeks to fill Burch’s vacant seat until the next election cycle.
When a United States Senator resigns, the governor of the senator’s state has the authority to appoint a temporary replacement to fill the seat until a special election or the next general election takes place. This ensures that the state continues to have representation in the Senate without any major gaps. However, some states require the governor to choose a replacement from the same political party as the resigning senator.
In some states, a special election must be held to allow voters to elect a new senator. The timing of the special election varies by state law. In many cases, the appointed senator will serve until the special election takes place, at which point voters can either elect them to a full term or choose someone else.
If the senator resigns close to the end of their term, the temporary appointee may serve until the regularly scheduled election when voters would have chosen the next senator anyway. However, if the resignation occurs early in the term, a special election is more likely.
The resignation itself does not disrupt the functioning of the U.S. Senate, but it can impact legislative balance, especially if the departing senator’s party loses control of the seat. For example, if a Republican senator resigns in a state with a Democrat governor, the governor could appoint a Democrat to fill the vacancy, potentially shifting the power balance in the Senate.
In some cases, resignations can spark political battles over the replacement. Governors may face immense pressure from party leaders, interest groups, and voters to appoint a specific person or to call for an immediate special election.
Ultimately, the Constitution requires that each state has two senators, so the vacancy will not remain for long. Either a temporary appointee or an elected senator will quickly take the seat to ensure the state maintains its representation in Congress.
