AP Declares Justin Heap Victorious in Maricopa County Recorder Republican Primary, Ousting Incumbent Stephen Richer

Heap was ahead by 20,400 votes Wednesday morning in the GOP primary for Maricopa County recorder.

PHOENIX — Justin Heap is leading by approximately 20,400 votes Wednesday morning in the Republican primary for Maricopa County recorder. The Associated Press has declared the race for Heap.

As of 6 a.m., unofficial results show Stephen Richer with 113,090 votes, Justin Heap with 133,561 votes, and Don Hiatt with 68,563 votes.

Incumbent Stephen Richer, seeking a second term, faced criticism from his party for rejecting unfounded election fraud claims in Arizona.

State Rep. Justin Heap of Mesa took the opportunity to challenge election officials who refuted false claims about the 2020 and 2022 elections, securing a victory over Richer and Donald Hiatt in the GOP primary for Maricopa County recorder.

Richer, who unseated a Democratic incumbent in early 2021, has been targeted by some conservatives for calling out falsehoods spread by former President Donald Trump regarding the 2020 election, which Joe Biden won in Arizona by 10,457 votes.

Kari Lake later criticized Richer, alleging her 2022 gubernatorial race loss was due to election fraud. Her claims were dismissed by courts, but Lake continues to assert that Maricopa County officials impeded her victory.

Richer subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit against Lake, citing “violent vitriol and other dire consequences” as a result of her falsehoods, including death threats and damaged relationships.

Richer claimed he has diligently defended the election system’s integrity against false narratives, worked to clean up voter rolls, and emerged victorious in lawsuits challenging election results.

The recorder’s office is responsible for voter registration and early voting efforts in Arizona’s most populous county.

Although Heap refrains from claiming the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen, he argues that many Republican voters distrust the county’s election operations. Alongside Hiatt, Heap criticized the county’s early ballot handling practices.

Heap will compete against the race’s lone Democrat, attorney Tim Stringham, in the general election on November 5.

In a debate earlier this year, Heap and Hiatt criticized Richer for a lack of transparency, while Richer defended his office as a law-abiding agency.

ARIZONA POLITICS