Les Presmyk appointed to take over as America's only elected mine inspector position

• The mine inspector must check every underground mine in the state with at least 50 employees once every three months and can also inspect abandoned or inactive sites for safety hazards.

Driving the news: Hobbs announced she'd appointed Presmyk last Friday.

• He has over 15 years of experience working in mines, and he served for 20 years as Salt River Project's principal mining engineer. He also served as a Gilbert Town Council member from 1999 to 2011.

State of play: Paul Marsh informed the governor's office on Aug. 11 he would resign as mine inspector effective four days later.

• Marsh's LinkedIn shows he started as director of government affairs at Heidelberg Materials in Irving, Texas, in August.

What they're saying: Steve Trussell, executive director of the Arizona Rock Products Association, told Axios that Marsh left the office better than he found it, and he couldn't fault him for moving on considering the mine inspector is paid only $53,000 annually.

Catch up quick: Marsh was appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey in 2021 after longtime mine inspector Joe Hart resigned, and he was elected to a full term the following year.

Flashback: The office is a serious position with important duties but sometimes attracts interesting characters.

• In 2018, Democratic nominee Bill Pierce appeared in Western regalia that would seem perfectly appropriate in an O.K. Corral reenactment.
• 2014 write-in candidate Ian Kobe ran on a platform of ridding Arizona's abandoned mines of vampires.

What's next: Presmyk told KJZZ that he plans to run for a full term next year.