Benson pastor is newest Arizona lawmaker
Lupe Diaz, a conservative pastor and Benson city councilmember, will become Arizona’s newest Republican lawmaker.
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 on Friday for Diaz to replace Becky Nutt, who resigned last month as one of two state representatives from Legislative District 14. Diaz will serve out the rest of Nutt’s two-year term, through 2022. Republican party members chose Diaz and two other candidates as possible replacements for Nutt; by law, the county board had to appoint someone from the same party.
In a biography submitted to the county, Diaz said he was born and raised in Cochise County, growing up as the son of a miner in Bisbee. He’s an ordained minister at Grace Chapel Benson, a Christian church that also runs a K-12 school, and he’s also the official chaplain for the Legislative District 14 Republican committee.
Calling himself a “constitutional conservative,” Diaz is pro-life, supports police and border security, and advocates for state tuition tax credits for private and religious schools. A former president of the Benson Chamber of Commerce, Diaz also believes in a “strong, free-market economy.” He didn’t immediately return a message Friday.
“Lupe Diaz will be an energetic and effective new voice in the Legislature for southern and rural Arizonans,” said House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, in a statement following the appointment. “I am thrilled to have him join the incoming group of rising stars to our House Republican team, so that, together, we can advance conservative policies in our state.”
The three-member board interviewed two other Cochise County residents for the job who were suggested by the GOP: Brian McKeighen and Robert Montgomery.
Ann English, chair of the board, first voted for McKeighen before switching her vote to Diaz after the other two board members picked Diaz. She told The Republic that she voted for the younger McKeighen initially because she liked his “freshness and commitment to public service ... . It wasn’t because I don’t like Mr. Diaz.”
Diaz, “has a compassionate nature and quality of listening,” she said. “He has a lot of public support, and that should be important.”
Diaz released a statement saying he’s honored to represent District 14.
“My priority will always be to the people I represent, to support good public policy to help them thrive and to raise their families in free and safe communities,” Diaz said. “I can’t wait to get started.”
Nutt didn’t say why she resigned last month when she became one of 11 lawmakers who left their posts this year. Ten resigned for personal, criminal or professional reasons, including some who are running for higher office. One, Frank Pratt of Casa Grande, died in September.
Pima County must still replace two lawmakers, and Yuma County must replace one.