Phoenix (3TV/CBS 5) — Republican Rachel Mitchell appears to have declared victory in the Maricopa County Attorney’s Election as thousands of votes are yet to be counted. Mitchell is the clear winner after Gannigle admitted in a statement early Monday morning.
The latest election results give Mitchell an almost 4-point lead over Democrat Julie Gannigle, with about 68,000 more votes. There will be another update from the county in the evening, and more votes are expected to be tallied throughout the day.
Mitchell posted on social media just before 8:30 a.m. that she would continue her job as the county’s chief prosecutor. “I am very honored that this community has shown overwhelming support and trust in my leadership of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office,” she said, adding that law enforcement and other It added that it will further engage with community leaders.
A few hours later, Ganigur issued a statement expressing disappointment, stating, “This is not the outcome we were hoping for.”
Mitchell entered the office at a controversial time
She was one of three GOP candidates considered after her predecessor, Alistair Adele, resigned in March 2022. fought.
Ultimately, Mitchell got the job, but continued to campaign through the primary to retain his position as the county’s chief prosecutor. She claimed victory for the Republican nomination almost 24 hours after the polls closed.Mitchell won by 16 points over his rival. Gina Godvigear28-42%.
Mitchell’s rise to power
Mitchell first became politically active after Senate Republicans named her a career prosecutor to question current U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was facing sexual assault charges at the time. attracted a lot of attention.
In April, Arizona Family’s Nicole Crites met with Mitchell and said her top priority was to restore public confidence in her office. I’m overwhelmed,” she told us at the time.
Mitchell’s recent accomplishments
Since then, Mitchell has been busy dealing with a surge in youth-targeted drugs, allegations of voter fraud in primary elections, and the current general election.
In a debate conducted by the Clean Elections Commission and televised on Arizona’s Family, she distinguished her policy stance on police reform and abortion from Democrat Julie Gunnigle. “I’m going to look at every case. It doesn’t mean I pre-announce that I don’t follow the law because I don’t like it. It’s not my role,” Mitchell explained of the current legal battle over state abortion. bottom.
Mitchell also sought to differentiate with a “crime-tough” approach as the Valley has witnessed an increase in gun violence and a growing wave of attacks on law enforcement.
In September, Mitchell made a significant policy change requiring a plea bargain to include prison terms for defendants if the crime involved the use of a firearm. It does not apply to defendants who merely had a gun in their possession at the time of the alleged offence.
She also scored a recent prosecution victory over a prolific Phoenix street racer and organizer who was sentenced to two and a half years behind bars after pleading guilty.
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