Ariz. Senate rejects Hobbs’ nominee for health services leader

PHOENIX – Pima County Health Director Theresa Cullen was rejected Tuesday in her bid to become the state’s top health official.

The voice vote in the Senate followed what had been a blistering threehour confirmation hearing last week where Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-queen Creek, who chaired that panel, repeatedly berated both her and the actions she took as Pima’s health chief during the height of the COVID outbreak. That panel voted 3-2, along party lines, to recommend that Cullen not be confirmed.

Tuesday’s action also came despite the fact that Senate Minority Leader Raquel Teran, D-phoenix, said Gov. Katie Hobbs had withdrawn Cullen’s name from consideration. But Senate President Warren Petersen, R-gilbert, said that message had not been received by the Senate secretary and ordered the vote to proceed.

Cullen’s last day as county health chief was scheduled to be Friday. But County Administrator Jan Lesher said Tuesday that Cullen has earned the right to continue in her old position.

“We hired her because she’s one of the finest public health physicians in the country who has had a distinguished career,’’ Lesher said. “Of course we want her to continue leading our public health agency.’’

And Cullen, in a statement, was philosophical about what happened, saying she was “honored’’ to have been considered for the state health director job.

“While the state job hasn’t worked out, I love being Pima County’s public health director,’’ Cullen said. “And there remains a lot of work to do making Pima County one of the healthiest counties in the nation.’’

Hobbs press aide Murphy Hebert denied that the confirmation hearing which led to Tuesday’s Senate vote went badly because Cullen had not been properly prepared. “We were prepared for a legitimate hearing,’’ she said.

“What that committee hearing was was was an ambush,’’ Hebert continued. “And they should be ashamed of themselves.’’

In a prepared statement, Hobbs detailed Cullen’s experience both nationally and internationally in her 27 years of public service, evidence the governor said lawmakers clearly ignored.

She also gave no hint of who she will now tap for the job. “If the Senate’s Director Nominations Committee is unwilling to acknowledge the skill and expertise of Dr. Cullen, there may be no public health professional in the state they would endorse,’’ Hobbs said.

“As long as Republicans choose politics over the people of Arizona, some of the most talented and qualified candidates will choose not to enter state service,’’ she continued. “And it is the people of Arizona who will suffer most because of these political games.’’

But Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli, R-lake Havasu City, in a statement put out by Senate Republicans, dubbed Cullen a “medical tyrant.’’

None of the questions raised in last week’s hearing had to do with Cullen’s experience. Instead, GOP lawmakers peppered her with questions about policies implemented in Pima County since she became its health director in June 2020. That included things like an overnight curfew and masking requirements.