Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates, who has faced threats and harassment for defending county elections since the 2020 vote certification, said Thursday he will not seek re-election in 2024.

Gates and four other supervisors, as county commissioners, said Maricopa County somehow rigged the election to oust former President Donald Trump in 2020 and cast votes against Cali, the unsuccessful Republican gubernatorial candidate. It has come under intense scrutiny from far-right forces who believe it manipulated the organization. Lake in 2022.

They were even threatened with prison time before the Arizona Senate vote contempt for the entire county commission; Unfortunately, we failed in 2021.

But Gates, in particular, served as chairman in 2019 and 2022 and was often on the front lines defending Maricopa County from election fraud conspiracies.

He and his family (wife and three daughters) were sometimes threatened to the point of leaving their home.

The cost was high. The Washington Post reported that Gates sought professional help in 2021; Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder It’s the result of frequent fights against false claims about the county’s elections.

In a prepared statement, Gates did not explicitly link his decision not to seek re-election to the pain he faced as a county official. But Gates has made it clear that he remains steadfast in his election resolve, even as he continues to serve out the remainder of his second term.

“My will to fight for the truth remains unimpeded and I look forward to seeing Maricopa County hold its 2024 elections,” he said.

All five members of the Maricopa County Commission (currently made up of four moderate Republicans and one Democrat) are up for re-election in 2024.