There's a new member of the Arizona House of Representatives: attorney Justin Pierce was appointed today to serve the remainder of former Speaker Kirk Adams' term.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors announced Pierce's appointment this morning.
Pierce, an employment lawyer with the firm Jackson Lewis, will serve the remainder of Adams' term, as the former speaker has left his post to pursue a Congressional run.
Calls to Pierce's office to find out whether he plans to pursue the seat after Adams' term is over were not immediately returned this morning.
Pierce is the son of Gary Pierce, an Arizona Corporation Commissioner and former state representative.
A graduate of Arizona State University and Georgetown Law School, Pierce, a Republican, specializes in representing employers in wrongful-termination, harassment, and discrimination claims before various government agencies.
Pierce's district includes parts of Mesa, Gilbert, and Apache Junction, so it's no surprise that he's a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In fact, he served a two-year mission for his LDS church in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is fluent in Portuguese.
Adams is running for the Congressional seat being vacated by Jeff Flake, who announced earlier this year that he's running for Senator Jon Kyl's seat in the U.S. Senate.
Adams isn't the only Republican seeking the seat. Former Congressman Matt Salmon announced last month that he, too, planned to run for Flake's seat.
Also seeking the seat is former Republican state Senate Majority Leader Chuck Gray.
