Representative Andrea Dalessandro was appointed to the Arizona Senate by the Pima County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. She fills the vacancy left by Senator Lopez in LD2.
Precinct Committeepersons nominated Dalessandro, Demion Clinco and Annabelle Nunez for the spot on Saturday.
While Dalessandro did not win the most votes from her fellow Democrats, Supervisor Ramon Valadez said he wanted “to see somebody who has some level of experience going into this particular position.”
Dalessandro will be sworn in tomorrow, which will trigger the replacement process for her House seat.
Dalessandro, in a statement released with Senate Democratic Leader Anna Tovar, said, “It is an honor and a privilege to have been selected unanimously for this opportunity by the Pima County Board of Supervisors. I will continue to work hard for the people of Legislative District 2 and look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues in the Senate.”
Tovar said, “Rep. Dalessandro has represented her constituents extremely well both here at the Capitol and in her district by holding forums on Medicaid expansion and protecting senior citizens from scams. Andrea will be a welcome addition to the Senate Democratic Caucus.”
Dalessandro will face Daniel Estrella in the 2014 General Election. Estrella is a former Marine recruiter, who served two tours of duty in Iraq.