Pawlik and Harris officially win LD13 House seats 

Rep. Jennifer Pawlik, D-Chandler, and Republican Rep.-elect Liz Harris have officially won Legislative District 13’s two House seats after the Secretary of State’s election recount results were announced Thursday.

Maricopa County Judge Timothy Thomason announced the results, in which Pawlik received 47,164 votes and Harris received 43,380 votes in the district. Republican Julie Willoughby received 43,555 votes. 

The widest margin of change from the unofficial election results was four votes. The Secretary of State’s results before the recount indicate Pawlik received 47,166 votes, Harris had 43,829 and Willoughby received 43,559.  

After the election, Harris announced in a Facebook post that she would withhold her vote on any legislation during the session unless the state held a new election, claiming that she and Willoughby should be the rightful winners of her district and that Republicans should’ve performed better overall in statewide and legislative races.   

Republicans will hold a 31-29 majority in the House next session and Harris said during a December podcast with Jovan Hutton Pulitzer that other Republicans have expressed frustration toward her stance. According to Harris, she was approached by LD4 Republican Rep.-elect Matt Gress about her position and election reform bills during the American Legislative Exchange Council’s States and Nation Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. 

“I hope Ms. Harris engages in the legislative process next session because her district deserves full representation in the Legislature. Now, more than ever, we need our Republican majority to provide a check and balance on the executive branch and that requires 31 votes in the House,” Gress wrote in a text after Harris spoke about their conversation.