History will remember the Maricopa County supervisors who oversaw the 2020 and 2022 elections as ardent defenders of American democracy.
They stood firm against the headwinds of populist movements that worked without evidence to discredit and overturn the election results.
Four out of five of these overseers are Republicans, and they have paid a price to stand up against their own party and its conspiracy theorist Donald Trump.
To go against Trump and his newcomer Kari Lake is to go against the many Republican voters who elected these overseers to office. It meant sacrificing some of their own support for ideals and principles.
Next year we will see the fruits of their fortitude.
Important move to strengthen elections
When all five seats are up for election in 2024, the board will no doubt change.
Former chairman Bill Gates has already announced his retirement. Other Republican lawmakers are also likely to face retaliation.
So it was no small matter that on June 28, the board unanimously reappointed Scott Jarrett as election director and most notably fired his direct supervisor.
That role will instead be given to County Manager Jen Pokorsky.
Gates explained that the reorganization will increase efficiency by having Jarrett report to one person instead of five. The regulator will continue to oversee the election, along with another Republican County Recorder, Stephen Richer, who defied the election hoax.
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But the move creates a buffer between the board’s five politicians and election officials. This could be important if the Arizona Republican Party continues to run and fund candidates who do not recognize the legitimacy of county and state elections.
Cochise County election debacle averted
By making the appointed county chief responsible for the appointed elections officer, the board helped insulate the commissioner from political interference.
Concrete was poured for a more solid and stable electoral administration.
This is important because, as we saw in the 2022 Cochise County midterm elections, when rogue supervisors intervene in elections, they wreak havoc on the system and undermine confidence in it.
Lisa Mara was a Cochise County elections official for 10 years when two members of the board pressured her to participate in the manual counting of votes to appease Trump supporters. .
She told them their order was illegal and refused to participate. The judge blocked the hand count and then ordered the supervisors (against their will) to certify the election.
Marla quit her job, filed a toxic work environment complaint, and won a $130,000 settlement. She currently serves as Deputy Director of Elections for the Office of the Arizona Secretary of State.
Mr. Mara and the Maricopa County supervisor have brought into them what former First Lady Abigail Adams called a “spirit of freedom.”
Democracy sometimes needs such resolve to protect its flickering lights from numerous threats.
Maricopa County supervisors came to the task in 2020 and 2022, and last week also beefed up the electoral system for next season.
This is the opinion of the Arizona Republic Editorial Board.
