Sylvia Laughter

Sylvia Laughter (c. 1959 – October 15, 2022) was an American politician who was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives from January 1999 until January 2005.[1] She was the first Navajo woman to serve in the Arizona legislature, as well as the first and only politically independent legislator to serve in the state legislature since Arizona's statehood in 1912.[2]

Sylvia Laughter
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
from the 3rd district
In office
January 1999 – January 2003
Preceded byJoe Hart
John Verkamp
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
from the 2nd district
In office
January 2003 – January 2005
Succeeded byAnn Kirkpatrick
Albert Tom
Personal details
Bornc. 1959
Baby Rocks, Arizona, U.S.
Died (aged 63)
Mesa, Arizona, U.S.
NationalityNavajo, American
Political partyIndependent
ResidenceKayenta, Arizona
Alma materBrigham Young University
ProfessionPolitician

Biography

Laughter was first elected to the House in November 1998 as a Democrat, representing District 3.[3]: viii–ix  She was re-elected in 2000,[4]: viii–ix  and again after redistricting in 2002, representing District 2.[5]: viii–ix  In February 2003, she changed her party affiliation from Democrat to Independent.[6] She ran for re-election in the November 2004 election but was defeated by Democrats Ann Kirkpatrick and Albert Tom.[7] Between 2004 and 2010 she changed her party affiliation back to Democrat, and ran for the Arizona State Senate in 2010 in District 2. She lost in the primary to Jack Jackson, Jr.[8]

She died from complications of COVID-19 in Mesa, Arizona, on October 15, 2022, at the age of 63.[9][10][11]

References
  1. "Sylvia Laughter's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  2. Utacia Krol, Debra (2022-10-19). "Former Arizona lawmaker Sylvia Laughter dies after 10-month battle with COVID-19". Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  3. "Session laws, State of Arizona, 1999 Volume 1, Forty-Fourth Legislature, First Regular Session, Chapters 1 to 223". State of Arizona. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  4. "Session laws, State of Arizona, 2001 Volume 1, Forty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session, Chapters 1 to 235". State of Arizona. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  5. "Session laws, State of Arizona, 2003 Volume 1, Forty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session, Chapters 1 to 247". State of Arizona. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  6. "Sylvia Laughter". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on November 11, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  7. "Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2004". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  8. "Arizona State Senate elections, 2010". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  9. "Former state representative Sylvia Laughter dies at 63". KNAU News. October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  10. "In Memoriam: Sylvia Laughter, Former Member of the Arizona House of Representatives". Indian Gaming. October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  11. Thorington, Jakob (17 October 2022). "Former independent representative dies Saturday at 63". Arizona Capitol Times. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
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