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Kiana Sears appointed to Arizona State Senate by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors

By
Published  March 26, 2025 8:17pm MST
Arizona Politics
FOX 10 Phoenix

Kiana Sears appointed to Arizona State Senate seat

Kiana Sears was appointed to fill the Arizona State Senate seat vacated by Eva Burch in Legislative District 9.

The Brief

    • The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appointed Kiana Sears as the newest state senator.
    • The appointment was necessary after Eva Burch stepped down from her senate seat, representing LD-9.
    • Sears will serve the remainder of the term.

PHOENIX - Kiana Sears has been appointed as Arizona's newest state senator by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to replace Eva Burch, who resigned earlier this month.

"We were honored to consider three tremendous candidates for the Arizona LD-9 Senate appointment - each uniquely qualified and deeply committed to public service," said Mark Stewart who represents District 1 on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. 

"After thoughtful deliberation, the Board selected Kiana Sears because of her exceptional leadership, deep understanding of key issues like water, housing, and education, and a lifelong record of community service. We thank her for stepping up to serve and wish her great success on behalf of our county and state."

Who is Kiana Sears?

What we know:

Sears has lived in Mesa for more than two decades. She has a Bachelor's and Master's degree from Arizona State University and served on the Mesa Public Schools board for eight years.

Before her time on the school board, she served as a research staffer for the Arizona State Senate.

Watch FOX 10 Phoenix live:

What they're saying:

House Democratic Whip Quanta Crews, who is the chair of the Daniels-Sims Arizona Black Caucus, released the following statement on the selection.

""On behalf of the Daniels-Sims Arizona Legislative Black Caucus, we proudly celebrate the historic appointment of Kiana Sears to the Arizona State Senate.
Kiana Sears enters the chamber not only with deep experience and integrity but with a heart for service rooted in faith, family, and fierce love for all our communities. She brings with her the lived wisdom of a woman who has navigated public life with grace and resilience, and the policy chops of someone who understands both the promise and the power of governing boldly. 

Her appointment is more than a personal victory, it is a win for Black Arizonans, for working families, for mothers and daughters who need to see what leadership looks like when it’s grounded in both vision and values. Senator Sears represents the best of us, and we are honored to stand beside her as she soon takes her place in the Senate. 

As a Caucus, we remain committed to advancing justice, equity, and opportunity for all Arizonans. We are stronger with Senator Sears at the table. Her voice adds harmony to our chorus, clarity to our mission, and fire to our collective fight for freedom and fairness in this state we love.
Congratulations, soon-to-be Senator Sears. Let’s get to work!"

Featured

Arizona State Senator Eva Burch announces resignation
article

Arizona State Senator Eva Burch announces resignation

State Sen Eva Burch is resigning from her position in government, she announced on March 5.

Big picture view:

Burch's last day in the state legislature was March 14. 

She gained notoriety for an emotional plea on the state senate floor, protecting abortion rights with her own personal story of fertility.

Burch won her district, LD-9, by 2,811 votes over Republican Robert Scantlebury, according to the Associated Press. 

There were 135,333 total votes cast in the LD-9 State Senate race.

Local perspective:

LD-9 covers mostly Mesa from the Loop 101 to Val Vista Drive.

Sears will represent the district for the remainder of the term.

The Source

  • Information for this story was provided by the Arizona House Democrats and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

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