Democrats Maintain Stronghold in Pima County Amidst National Red Wave

As of Sunday, November 17, all ballots cast in Pima County for the November 5 election have been counted. The total turnout for the 2024 presidential election reached an impressive 78 percent, with 518,466 ballots submitted.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors plans to convene on Thursday, November 21, to approve the election canvas. Following this, they will seek a court order for a recount in the closely contested sheriff’s race between Democrat Chris Nanos and Republican Heather Lappin. Nanos leads by just 495 votes out of 487,225 cast, a margin of 0.1 percent, which triggers a recount under state law when the difference is 0.5 percent or less.

“Once we have the court order, the recount can begin,” stated Elections Director Constance Hargrove. She added that all ballots would be re-run through the tabulator, and any ballots requiring adjudication would be addressed. Given the volume of ballots cast, Hargrove expects the recount process could take approximately 14 calendar days.

In the sheriff’s race, Trista Di Genova, an alternate candidate, received 114 write-in votes. Additionally, there were 1,105 write-in votes not assigned to any declared candidates, and nearly 28,000 voters abstained from selecting a candidate.

Should Nanos maintain his lead during the recount—an outcome not typically swayed by large margins—Democrats enjoyed a significant victory throughout Pima County, successfully securing all countywide offices and four out of five seats on the Board of Supervisors.

In the Board of Supervisors races, District 1 Supervisor Rex Scott triumphed with 53 percent of the votes against Republican Steve Spain, increasing his margin from just 730 votes in 2020 to over 8,000 this year. District 2 Supervisor Matt Heinz achieved 62 percent against John Backer, who has previously faced defeat in other District 4 contests.

In the open District 3 seat, Democrat Jennifer Allen captured 53 percent of the vote over Republican Janet “JL” Wittenbraker, while Independent candidate Iman-Utopia Layjou Bah garnered 4 percent. Allen, who previously worked with organizations like the Arizona ACLU, replaces Sylvia Lee after her decision not to seek reelection.

District 4 Supervisor Steve Christy remains the lone Republican on the board after winning 52 percent against Democrat Vanessa Bechtol. In District 5, Democrat Adelita Grijalva secured a commanding 74 percent against independent Val Romero.

In other countywide offices, Democratic incumbent Laura Conover was reelected as Pima County attorney with 76 percent of the vote, defeating Green Party candidate Howard Druan. The race had the highest number of undervotes, totaling over 116,000 ballots that did not specify a candidate.

In the sheriff’s race, Chris Nanos won a second term, contingent upon the upcoming recount. Gabriella Cazeras-Kelly also retained her position as County Recorder, receiving 59 percent of the votes against Republican Dominic Campbell-Gonzales.

Meanwhile, Brian Johnson unseated the last Republican holding a countywide office by defeating Treasurer Chris Ackerley with 54 percent. Both County Assessor Suzanne Droubie and County Schools Superintendent Dustin Williams faced no opposition in their respective races.

In constable races, Democrats Mark Roosevelt and Christopher Toth emerged victorious in Precincts 1 and 8, respectively. Several constables were unopposed, including Democrats Tracy Ethridge-Nielsen and Bennett Bernal, alongside Republicans Thomas Schenek Jr. and John Cammarano.

The outcomes of these races signal a continued Democratic presence in Pima County’s leadership, shaping the direction of local governance for the years to come.