Photo Source: Arizona Mirror
There’s something worth respecting about a politician who acknowledges he can’t do two jobs at once.
Scottsdale Republican state Rep. Joseph Chaplik announced this week that he will be resigning from the Arizona Legislature to focus entirely on his campaign for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. Chaplik, who has served in the state House since 2019, made the announcement Thursday, flanked by fellow Republican lawmakers, citing his inability to give full attention to both the demands of the Legislature and the rigors of a congressional campaign simultaneously.
“I cannot fully commit to the legislature’s demands and campaign for Congress at the same time,” he said. It’s a candid admission, and one that doesn’t get made often enough in politics. The instinct for officeholders is typically to hold onto every seat and every title as long as possible. Chaplik is doing the opposite, choosing to let go of a sure thing in order to reach for something bigger, and doing so transparently.
The seat he’s pursuing opened when longtime Congressman David Schweikert announced he would leave Congress after eight terms to run for governor. Congressional District 1 encompasses much of Scottsdale, north Phoenix and Cave Creek, thus making it a natural fit for a Scottsdale-based legislator who has spent years immersed in the issues that define the region. Chaplik’s endorsements include a broad roster of current and former state lawmakers, Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan, and Recorder Justin Heap.
The race won’t be easy. Former NFL kicker and CBS Sports analyst Jay Feely, backed by President Donald Trump, has raised more than $725,000 in the contest, giving him a commanding fundraising advantage heading into the July 21 primary.
Jay Feely. Photo Credit: Wikipedia
As for the legislative seat Chaplik is vacating, Arizona law has a clear process for filling it. The Secretary of State notifies the state party chairman, who must convene a meeting of elected Republican precinct committeemen within three business days. Since the Legislature is currently in session, those committeemen would have just five days to nominate three qualified candidates, all of whom must be Republicans living in District 3 in Maricopa County. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors then selects one of the three nominees to serve the remainder of the term. It’s a brisk but deliberate process, and given that the Legislature is mid-session, the pressure to fill the seat quickly will be real.
Chaplik’s gamble is a bold one. But choosing to give it everything rather than half-effort from a safe perch is, at minimum, the right way to try.