This year’s election cycle saw major political upheaval in Maricopa County in the weeks before the November general election. Regardless of who wins in November, some of the county’s top spots will be filled by newcomers.
Director Jack Sellers lost the primary election to Republican challenger Mark Stewart. Directors Bill Gates and Clint Hickman previously announced they would step down at the end of their terms, citing harassment they received for defending the integrity of the 2020 election. Gates will lead a research lab at ASU focused on election management.
After the general election, at least three of the five seats on the county council will be filled by new people. The remaining two supervisors, Republican Thomas Galvin and Steve Gallardo, the only Democrat on the current board, are also up for re-election this year.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office will also have new leadership in 2025. Sheriff Russ Skinner, who replaced Paul Penzone in January, lost the Democratic primary to Tyler Kampf. Kampf will face Republican Jerry Sheridan, who served as Joe Arpaio’s chief of staff.
There will also be a new commissioner in the office that administers elections in Maricopa County. Recorder Stephen Richer came under fire for defending the integrity of the 2020 and 2022 elections and lost the July 30 primary to Justin Heap, who questioned the election process.
Other major news we’re tracking this week include:
- Arizona’s Secretary of State has confirmed there are enough signatures on a ballot measure seeking to codify abortion access into the state constitution to appear on the November ballot. This will be published as Bill No. 139.
- Former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has announced his support for Republican candidates, including Senate candidate Kari Lake and former President Donald Trump.
- Arizona’s top Democratic Party officials are scheduled to head to Chicago next week for the Democratic National Convention. That includes Gov. Katie Hobbs, Attorney General Chris Mays, and Sen. Mark Kelly, who was on Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate list.
Hosted by Arizona Republic reporter Rafael Carranza, this briefing explores news and issues in a fast-paced, easy-to-understand format through interviews with other reporters and media professionals.
The briefing will be published on azcentral.com and YouTubeThe Republic’s audience has grown to approximately 130,000 followers.
This briefing is just one layer of coverage of Republic politics and the 2024 election.
search our podcast, Gaggle. A must-listen for political buffs and anyone who likes news delivered through podcasts. Subscribe to our podcast app to stay up to date anytime, anywhere. You can subscribe to The Gaggle on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. New episodes will be posted on Wednesdays.
Get Republic’s 2024 election newsletter, Republic Recount. Every week, Maricopa and Pinal County reporter Sasha Hapka reports and curate must-know campaign news, inside information, and service-style voter tips from Arizona’s largest and most talented election team. Masu. To sign up for our newsletter, https://profile.azcentral.com/newsletters/the-recount/.
