Former Arizona Rep. David Stringer is seeking the Republican nomination for Yavapai County Attorney against incumbent Dennis McGrain.
McGrane has been serving as county attorney since her predecessor, Shelia Polk, retired on Dec. 31, 2022. Polk also ran for the same position in 2020 but received only about a third of the vote, handing Stringer his most recent election defeat.
“[McGrane] “He has over 28 years of legal experience in criminal prosecution and currently serves as the Yavapai County Attorney,” McGrane's campaign website states. “Prior to that, he served as the [McGrane] He served as Yavapai County's chief deputy prosecutor for 22 years and as a deputy county attorney for more than five years. [McGrane] He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Arizona State Prosecutor's Advisory Board in recognition of his exemplary career in public service.”
Stringer had previously been indicted in Maryland on child sex offense charges stemming from multiple sexual encounters with two mentally disabled teenage boys. The charges against him came to light following the discovery of a 1983 Baltimore, Maryland police report.
Stringer pleaded guilty to reduced charges, was sentenced to five years probation and more than 1,000 hours of community service, and the record of the case was sealed.
“Stringer, a Republican from Prescott who has come under fire in recent months for his racist comments, was indicted on five sex crimes on Oct. 10, 1983, according to a January 25, 2019, Phoenix New Times article. “The records appear to show that a Maryland court convicted Stringer of three sex crimes. The court records also show that he received five years probation in the case and was ordered to undergo treatment at a well-known clinic for sexually-disordered patients.”
Stringer resigned from the House of Representatives in March 2019, shortly before a deadline to submit documents to an Ethics Committee investigation into alleged sexual misconduct and racist comments he had made public.
The former congressman has remained quiet on social media about his campaign, but Stringer is a partner in the parent company of local blog Prescott E-News, which has recently run several ads for Stringer's campaign.
The Republican primary election will be held on Tuesday, July 30th.
No Democrats have filed to run for the seat.
