Julie Willoughby

Julie Willoughby
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
from the 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 5, 2023[1]
Serving with Jennifer Pawlik
Preceded byLiz Harris
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceChandler, Arizona
EducationArizona State University (BS)[2]
Signature
WebsiteCampaign website

Julie Willoughby is an American politician and ER nurse from Chandler, Arizona.[3] A Republican, she is a member of the Arizona House of Representatives and took office on May 5, 2023.[4] Willoughby was appointed in May 2023 from the 13th legislative district, which includes much of Chandler and the entirety of Sun Lakes.

Willoughby originally ran for office in 2018 and lost in the primary to Jeff Weninger and J.D. Mesnard's mother, Nora Ellen.[5][6] Four years later, in 2022, she ran again and won the Republican primary election alongside Liz Harris.[7] Willoughby would go on to lose the general election, placing third to Harris and Jennifer Pawlik. After Harris was expelled from the Arizona House of Representatives, Willoughby was one of three names submitted to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to be appointed to replace Harris.[8] In a 4–1 vote, the Board of Supervisors selected Willoughby and she was sworn in the same day. [9] Willoughby is running for the seat in 2024.[10]

Despite currently not practicing medicine[citation needed] and actively pursuing political office herself, Willoughby represented herself only as an emergency room nurse in a 2024 swing state political issue ad for the Preserve America PAC, campaigning against the Biden/Harris administration's response to asylum seekers at the Mexico–United States border. In the ad, Willoughby alleges those migrants are forcing the denial of care to native/naturalized citizens when they utilize the American health care system through strain on ER resources.[11]

State Representative Julie Willoughby taking the Oath of Office, 5 May 2023
  1. ^ Arcand, Cameron (5 May 2023). "Maricopa County Board chooses replacement for expelled Republican lawmaker". The Center Square Arizona. Retrieved 5 May 2023. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appointed Julie Willoughby on Friday morning to fill the vacancy of expelled Republican Rep. Liz Harris. Willoughby was sworn in shortly after
  2. ^ "Julie Willoughby". LinkedIn. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  3. ^ "2018 AzNA PAC Endorsements". Arizona Nurses Association. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Julie Willoughby appointed to replace expelled Arizona house representative". AZ Family. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Mesnard, Mom Nora Ellen Warned To Avoid "Campaign Impropriety"". Arizona Independent News Network. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Signed Statewide Canvas" (PDF). Arizona Secretary of State. Arizona Secretary of State. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Arizona Primary Election Results - 2022". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Republicans choose 3 possible replacements for ousted lawmaker Liz Harris". The Arizona Republic / AZ Central. 18 April 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  9. ^ Wingett Sanchez, Yvonne; Wang, Amy (5 May 2023). "Kari Lake-backed candidate replaces ousted election denier in Ariz. legislature". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Arizona Primary Election Interested Candidates". Arizona Secretary of State. Arizona Secretary of State. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  11. ^ Roth, Samantha-Jo (8 August 2024). "Trump-aligned group bashes Harris over the border in ad blitz across battleground states". The Gazette (Colorado Springs). Retrieved 17 August 2024.