The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appointed small business owner Cody Reim on March 17 to fill the Arizona House of Representatives vacancy in Legislative District 3.
This appointment is significant for residents of northeast Maricopa County, as Legislative District 3 includes areas such as Anthem, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, New River, Scottsdale, and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. The district also spans three county supervisorial districts and borders Pinal, Yavapai, and Gila counties.
“It’s critical that we have people of integrity serving in the legislature,” said Supervisor Thomas Galvin, District 2. “Cody Reim is a principled leader who has proven he will stand up and fight for his community. He’s the kind of person who brings neighbors together. He’s a bridge builder and consensus maker. I’m confident he will serve the constituents of District 3 well.”
Reim is known locally as a political newcomer and small business owner living in Rio Verde Foothills. He has been an advocate for securing a long-term water supply for his community—a topic that remains important at both local and state levels. Supervisor Galvin has expressed gratitude for Reim’s leadership on water issues.
Board members selected Reim from three candidates submitted by District 3 precinct committeemen in accordance with Arizona law. Candidates were required to reside within the district and be members of the same party as former office holder Joseph Chaplik, a Republican. Reim will serve through the remainder of this term; the position will appear on the ballot during the November 3, 2026 General Election.
Education remains a pressing issue in Maricopa County. In recent years, student performance data shows challenges: 62.9% of students in grades 3 through 8 failed the mathematics section of the AASA during the 2022-23 school year, while 65% of high schoolers did not pass mathematics on the ACT that same year. English proficiency also lagged behind expectations with 57.2% failure rates among grades 3 through 8 on AASA English sections and 57% failure rates among high schoolers on ACT English sections during 2022-23.
Recent results show some improvement: 33.9% of high schoolers passed mathematics on the ACT in the current academic year (2023-24), while 36% of students in grades 3 through 8 passed mathematics on AASA assessments.
As Reim steps into his new role representing Legislative District 3 at the state level, education outcomes and water resource management are likely to remain key topics for both lawmakers and constituents.
