State Sen. Meg Burton Cahill, D-Tempe, announced Tuesday that she will be retiring when her current term is up in 2010, kicking off a game of political musical chairs for Tempe’s three state legislative seats.

Burton Cahill cited her decaying health as the primary reason she chose to retire after 10 years in office, first in the state House of Representatives and then in the Senate. She said the unpredictability and high stress level associated with the work have worsened her health problems.

Burton Cahill vowed to stay involved in state politics, bringing her experience to some other agency or advocacy group.

“I don’t intend to retire from public service,” Burton Cahill said. “I believe I have tools that could be used at some other levels [of government].”

State Rep. David Schapira, D-Tempe, announced at Burton Cahill’s Tuesday press conference that he plans to run for the district’s lone Senate seat in the 2010 elections.

Schapira, serving his second term as a state representative, holds seats on the education and appropriations committees, which have been in the center of the budget debate.

“I’m excited to continue the leadership she has shown to our community and this state,” Schapira said. “The lineup might be changing a little bit, [but] the issues still remain.”

Tempe City Councilman Ben Arredondo, a Republican, announced Tuesday that he will switch parties and run for Schapira’s seat in 2010.

“After talking to both parties and seeing what was best, I had to weigh what was best for my community … and how I fit in philosophically,” Arredondo said. “After everything was said and done, I felt comfortable becoming a Democrat.”

Arredondo, who spent 16 years as a city council member, declined to go into his stances on specific issues, including the ongoing $2 billion state budget shortfall, saying he does not yet have enough information on it to take a position.

He did say, however, that he made the decision after looking over each party’s stances on critical issues affecting the state.

“I found myself siding more with Democrats,” Arredondo said. “It’s just a matter of me deciding how I can serve the community best.”

Burton Cahill said Arredondo showed Democratic leanings in his four terms as a Tempe City Council member.

“My newly-registered Democratic friend has been voting [for] Democratic values for a long, long time,” Burton Cahill said.

City councilman Corey Woods said he is sad to see Arredondo leave his position, but added that Arredondo would make a great addition to the state Legislature, bringing a moderate voice and years of experience as a public servant to the state Capitol.

“The state is obviously facing unprecedented challenges,” Woods said.
“His voice of reason and common sense is one that is well-needed at the Legislature.”

Brian Kaufman, chairman of the District 17 Republican party, said he was surprised by Arredondo’s decision to switch parties. Arredondo had expressed a desire to run for the state Legislature numerous times, Kaufman said, but never gave the indication that he wanted to become a Democrat.

“He felt confident he could’ve won as an independent,” Kaufman said. “Now he’s going to be ineffective because he’s part of the minority.”

Burton Cahill said she will continue her service in a capacity that does not bring the high-profile stress that comes with being a state legislator, hinting that she would become a lobbyist at the Capitol.

“I’m not retiring, I’m just going to retire from this not-quite-so-friendly work environment,” she said.

Reach the reporter derek.quizon@asu.edu.