What happens next to replace expelled Rep. Liz Harris at the Legislature? What to know

Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated how many votes are needed to pass legislation in the House after a member is expelled.

Republicans in the Arizona House of Representatives are down one member following the expulsion of Rep. Liz Harris, R-Chandler, in a vote by her colleagues. But a new Republican will soon take over her seat.

House members expelled Harris on a bipartisan vote of 46-13 (with one Democrat home sick and not voting). Her ouster followed a House Ethics Committee investigation that found she committed "disorderly behavior."

Specifically, Harris brought a guest to a public hearing who made unvetted accusations that officeholders, Mesa City Council members and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were part of a drug cartel's "bribery" scheme. She also lied to the Ethics Committee about whether she knew her guest would make those accusations, the investigation found.

Read the report: Arizona House Ethics committee says Liz Harris should face punishment

How will Harris get replaced, and who picks the replacement?

When a member of the Legislature vacates his or her office before their two-year term is up — whether by expulsion, resignation or death — Arizona law calls for a replacement by someone from the same party.

The secretary of state will "immediately" notify the chair of the appropriate party, which in this case would be GOP Party Chair Jeff DeWit. After the chair receives that notice, the chair or a designee must inform the precinct committee members in the departing lawmaker's district of the vacancy. Harris was elected by voters in Legislative District 13, which includes much of Chandler and part of Gilbert.

The precinct committee members will then vote, within five business days, to nominate three qualified candidates to replace the lawmaker. The board of supervisors from the county where the departing lawmaker lives will select the new lawmaker from that group.

In this case, the state GOP will forward the candidate names to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Since District 1 Supervisor Jack Sellers represents LD-13, the other four supervisors likely will defer to Seller's preferred replacement for Harris.

The new House member will serve out the remainder of Harris' term, which ends in January 2025.

Who might replace Harris? Could she come back to the Legislature?

Legislative District 13 precinct committee members nominated Liz Harris, Julie Willoughby and Steve Steele in two rounds of voting at their meeting April 17. Harris was the top vote-getter. But she likely would have little chance of winning the approval of the supervisors and Sellers, a harsh critic of the state Senate's partisan audit of the 2020 election who called the effort in 2021 an "adventure in never-never land."

Steele is precinct committee member for the district who was among the signers of a March 28 resolution by GOP district officials in support of Harris for "her commitment to Election Integrity, and her efforts to expose corruption on whichever side of the aisle it falls."

Willoughby, the chief nursing officer at Exceptional Community Hospital in the city of Maricopa, ran with Harris as a team in last year's election. Willoughby lost her race for a House seat to Harris by 275 votes. Jennifer Pawlik, D-Chandler, won the other House seat with more votes than either Harris or Willoughby.

For subscribers: White House phone calls, baseless fraud charges: The origins of the Arizona election review

Could Harris' absence prevent Republicans from passing bills?

Yes.

"We need 31 votes to pass any bill," said House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Glendale, adding that Republicans must have had a "strict majority" to pass bills on party lines.

Republicans now outnumber Democrats in the House by only 30-29. The House can still pass bills, but only with Democratic support until a Republican is appointed to Harris' former seat.

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 480-276-3237. Follow him on Twitter @raystern.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Rep. Liz Harris was expelled. Here's how she will be replaced