House Democratic Leader Andrés Cano of Arizona announced his intention to resign at the conclusion of the current legislative session in order to pursue a graduate degree at Harvard Kennedy School this summer.
The third-term lawmaker, who represents a large portion of the Tucson metropolitan area, stated in a statement that his acceptance to the Mid-Career Master of Public Administration program in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.
“As a first-generation college graduate, I never imagined such an opportunity would arise,” Cano said. Simply put, I want to do more for the people of Arizona and our country and be prepared for the next chapter of my public service career.
The program will launch in July. The Pima County Board of Supervisors will select a successor for the remainder of his two-year term.
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Cano, 31, was elected for the first time in 2018 and re-elected in 2020 and 2022. Last year, the House Democratic Caucus elected him minority leader. The legislative session is anticipated to conclude in the coming weeks. The state budget vote is scheduled to commence on Tuesday. Cano stated on Saturday that he is devoted to “seeing the state budget process through to its conclusion.”
He also intends to stand down as director of the LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund, a Community Foundation of Southern Arizona initiative, in June.
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Cano served as the policy advisor to the late Richard Elias, former chairman of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, from 2012 to 2019.
Current Board Chair Adelita Grijalva and Supervisor Sharon Bronson issued a statement congratulating Cano on his acceptance to the Harvard program following his “meteoric rise” to Democratic leader, which began when he obtained a county internship at the age of 14.
“Andrés has known since he was a child that the best use of government power is to provide opportunity and ensure fairness,” said Grijalva. Cambridge is about to experience a tidal wave of positive energy; he is a force of nature.
