Gov. Katie Hobbs raises alarm over election feud as early voting begins

Gov. Katie Hobbs on Tuesday expressed concern that the ongoing feud between Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap and the Board of Supervisors could distract from the start of early voting, which begins Wednesday ahead of Arizona’s July 21 primary.

“That is what the county election officials should be focused on instead of this feud,” Hobbs said at a news conference. “I’m worried that it is distracting them from the job at hand.”

The dispute centers on who controls election infrastructure in Maricopa County.

After taking office in January 2025, Heap terminated an agreement his predecessor Stephen Richer signed which transferred IT staff, servers and voter registration systems to the board. A court ruled in April that the board must return them.



https://ktar.com/arizona-politics-news/election/katie-hobbs-election-dispute/5882657/