If Maricopa County's election results are called into question again in November, it's far from certain that democracy will be preserved.
That's because two of the five county supervisors who have remained steadfast throughout the turmoil of the 2020 and 2022 elections have decided not to seek reelection.
Both supervisors (actually all five) have been relentlessly berated, harassed and threatened for refusing to declare voting fraud and pave the way for Donald Trump and other failed MAGA candidates to steal victory from defeat.
Will MAGA candidates disrupt the election?
Candidates running for supervisor in the July 30 Republican primary are running under the MAGA banner or aligning with the movement.
They perpetuate the argument that the electoral process cannot be trusted, or worse, that the system is rigged against conservatives.
Whether they, as supervisors, will stop the certification of election results unfavorable to MAGA or otherwise undermine the legitimacy of the election remains an open question.
Centrist and independent Republican voters need to carefully consider their choice.
The importance of voting cannot be overemphasized.
The three districts are heavily favored by Republicans, meaning the winner of the GOP primary will have a big advantage in the Nov. 5 general election.
District 1
Republican incumbent Jack Sellers faces a primary challenge from Chandler City Councilman Mark Stewart, who is retiring at the end of his term.
Stewart rightly criticized the county's mishandling of the 2022 election. Aging equipment and thick paper As a result, many polling stations had ballots printed improperly and rejected by counting machines, resulting in long lines, confusion and frustrated voters.
But Stewart used the issues from that year to question the county's handling of the 2020 election and the credibility of the election. He didn't say whether he would certify or not. He made no mention of the recent election results, nor whether Joe Biden had won in 2020 or Katie Hobbs had won in 2022.
He also adheres to far-right causes. Polling stations and drop boxes To ensure the fairness of elections, ballot-harvesting procedures must be abolished and voting must be limited to local precincts.
Stewart is Endorsement from Congressman Andy Biggswho was Link to Plan Biggs was a leader in the protests that led to the storming of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021, and has proudly championed MAGA grievances in Congress.
Stewart also Maricopa County Republican Committeehas found itself in hot water after its deputy chairman said he wanted to “lynch” the county recorder.
The committee also denounced everyone from former Gov. Doug Ducey to all seven in the MAGA name. Arizona Supreme Court Justice For “wrongfully” dismissing the 2022 election challenge lawsuits filed by Kali Lake and Abe Hamadeh.
While not necessarily indicative of future performance, these associations raise questions about Stewart's values ​​and worldview.
District 4
Two Republicans are vying to replace Clint Hickman, whose family and farm, Hickman's Family Farm, have been subject to the kind of abuse that is emblematic of the MAGA movement.
When a fire broke out at the business in spring 2021, destroying two barns and killing tens of thousands of chickens, social media Ballot shredding conspiracy theory Ballots for the 2020 election were also destroyed in the fire.
Bob Branch, one of two candidates vying to replace Hickman, has promoted a similar MAGA theory.
That includes sharp rebukes of County Recorder Steven Richer, who frequently shoots down baseless claims of election fraud made by MAGA supporters on social media.
Branch, who narrowly lost a primary for state superintendent in 2018, also claimed that he and Hamade “won” the election and that a protracted count of uncounted ballots overturned his victory.
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He claims they were both deceived by the electoral system.
Branch's opponent in the primary is Debbie Lesko, a three-term representative who decided not to seek reelection.
Like Branch, she is an ardent Trump supporter and has MAGA ties, which she will have to explain to voters.
Lesko voted against the bill along with three other Republicans from Arizona's congressional delegation: Biggs, Paul Gosar and David Schweikert. Certification of 2020 Arizona Election Results Shortly after order was restored following the storming of the Capitol.
Lesko has since downplayed his MAGA ties.
As Hickman's descriptionLesko abstained from signing the letter from Biggs, Gosar and Schweikert that was intended to put pressure on Maricopa County and the county supervisors over the 2020 election.
District 2
As I mentioned in my previous op-ed, Michelle Ugenti Rita, a Trump conservative candidate who was embroiled in a sex scandal while serving as a state legislator, is challenging incumbent Tom Galvin, a traditional Republican.
In 2016, a female lobbyist accused Ugenti Rita of trying to solicit her into a threesome. Now, without any irony, Ugenti Rita accuses Galvin of supporting a liberal county library system that stocks sexually explicit books for children.
She also takes the position of the far-right Freedom Caucus, which says the region's transportation plan should be reversed, light rail eliminated and public transportation spending reduced, despite funding compromises agreed to by the county, Valley cities and three tribal nations.
The other two districts (3rd and 5th) have strong Democratic and Republican candidates worthy of your support.
No election is perfect, and there were plenty of failures in Maricopa County.
But conflating serious errors with deliberate manipulation of an election and using them to undermine democracy is something we cannot in good conscience tolerate.
We have the power to stop it through our votes.
This is the opinion of The Arizona Republic's editorial board.
