close
close
You are Here
The elections mean a massive change in leadership
vefms

The elections mean a massive change in leadership

play

This year’s election cycle has brought about a massive political shakeup in Maricopa County, weeks before the November general election. Several of the county’s top offices will be filled by new faces, regardless of who wins in November.

Supervisor Jack Sellers lost his primary to Republican challenger Mark Stewart. Supervisors Bill Gates and Clint Hickman had previously announced they would resign at the end of their terms due to harassment they received for defending the integrity of the 2020 election. Gates will lead a lab at ASU focused on election administration.

Following the general election, three of the five county board seats will be filled by new people. The two remaining supervisors — Thomas Galvin, a Republican, and Steve Gallardo, the only Democrat on the current board — will not be up for re-election this year.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office will also have a new leader in 2025. Sheriff Russ Skinner, who replaced Paul Penzone in January, lost his Democratic primary to Tyler Kamp. Kamp will face Republican Jerry Sheridan, who served as Joe Arpaio’s chief deputy.

The office that administers elections in Maricopa County will also have a new boss. Clerk Stephen Richer was criticized for defending the integrity of the 2020 and 2022 elections and lost his July 30 primary to Justin Heap, who questioned the process.

Here are some other important stories we’re following this week:

  • Arizona’s Secretary of State has verified the number of signatures needed for a bill seeking to codify abortion access in the state Constitution to appear on the November ballot. It will appear as Proposition 139.
  • Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey offered his support to Republican candidates on the ballot, including Senate candidate Kari Lake and former President Donald Trump.
  • Arizona’s top Democrats will travel to Chicago next week for the Democratic National Convention. They include Gov. Katie Hobbs, Attorney General Kris Mayes and Sen. Mark Kelly, who was on Vice President Kamala Harris’s shortlist of running mates.

The Briefing, hosted by Arizona Republic reporter Rafael Carranza, explores news and issues through interviews with other reporters and newsmakers in a quick, easy-to-digest format.

The Briefing is published on azcentral.com and YouTube, where The Republic’s audience has grown to nearly 130,000 followers.

The Briefing is just one layer of The Republic’s coverage of politics and the 2024 election.

Find our podcast, The gang. It’s a must-listen for political fans and those who prefer their news in podcast format. Catch up with us wherever and whenever you want by subscribing on your podcast app. You can subscribe to The Gaggle on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. New episodes are published on Wednesdays.

Receive the Republic Recount 2024 Election Newsletter. Each week, Maricopa and Pinal County reporter Sasha Hupka reports and curates the most important campaign news, insider scoops and service-style voter advice from Arizona’s largest and most talented election team. Sign up for the newsletter at https://profile.azcentral.com/newsletters/the-recount/.

Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin

Related Posts