Otoniel "Tony" Navarrete resigned his seat in the Arizona state Senate Tuesday afternoon in a short letter to Senate Speaker Karen Fann, five days after Navarrete was arrested for seven felonies related to child sexual abuse. .
The resignation is effective immediately, Fann said.
The resignation ends a five-year legislative career for the Phoenix Democrat, who has represented a district stretching from west-central Phoenix to Glendale.
It follows days of a flood of calls for him to resign from the seat he was re-elected to last fall.
In a written statement to Fann, copied by Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rรญos, Navarrete wrote simply: "Effective immediately, I officially resign from my position as Arizona State Senator for District 30."
"I am very glad that you have decided to do the right thing so that you can determine your next steps," said Fann, R-Prescott.
Fann said she and Rios, a Phoenix Democrat, will issue a joint statement on the resignation. The two leaders issued a joint order on Monday calling for their immediate departure, especially after an ethics investigation was launched.
Navarrete's resignation triggers a replacement process that begins with the presidents of the precinct commissions of Legislative District 30. They will propose three candidates, who by law must all be Democrats, since Navarrete is a Democrat.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will elect a replacement from that list, who will be sworn in and serve the remainder of Navarrete's term, which ends in January 2023.
A conference on the status of Navarrete's case is scheduled for 10:30 am Thursday.
This is a developing story. .
Contact the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com and follow her on Twitter @maryjpitzl.
This article originally appeared in the Arizona Republic: Arizona State Senator Navarrete Resigns After Arrest In Child Sexual Abuse Case
