By
The Associated Press
TUCSON, Ariz. - Virginia Yrun, a former Planned Parenthood official and Democratic political activist, was named yesterday to replace the late state Sen. Andy Nichols.
Nichols, a Tucson Democrat who represented District 13, died Thursday in Phoenix of a heart attack in his Senate office.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 for Yrun, turning down Nichols' widow, Ann Nichols, who wanted to serve the rest of her husband's term. Family members had said she would be most able to carry out her husband's wishes to improve health care and protect neighborhoods and the environment.
Republicans Ann Day and Ray Carroll joined the three-Democrat board majority on the selection.
The board also passed over former state Sen. George Cunningham, a Democrat who also had represented District 13. He stepped down last year to make an unsuccessful run for Congress against Rep. Jim Kolbe.
Some board members said they viewed Yrun, an attorney, as being more closely allied to Nichols on issues than Cunningham.
Yrun and supervisors did not immediately return Associated Press phone calls yesterday.
Others who had been considered possibilities for the appointment included Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who represents District 13 in the House, and Nichols' daughter, Cathy.
Yrun, 51, retired last year after 18 years as head of Planned Parenthood of Southern Arizona.
She ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for Congress in 1991 against Ed Pastor. Yrun is married to Howard Shore, who ran unsuccessfully last year for a District 13 House seat.
"She'll make a good state senator," Cunningham said. "She's a quick learner. She'll have a very short learning curve because she's very bright. She will build relationships with her colleagues so she can have the appropriate influence."
David Bradley, Pima County Democratic chairman, said Yrun has been active in the community and was involved in her husband's legislative campaign.
He acknowledged that he thought the board would appoint Cunningham, because he was more prepared to handle walking in with such little time left in the current legislative session.
"Virginia has to have ... an accelerated learning experience," Bradley said. "She certainly has that ability, she has the name recognition, she has been involved in political activity, both her husband and in her own right."
