Nanos Secures Tense Reelection by Just 495 Votes Against Lappin

Democratic incumbent Sheriff Chris Nanos has been re-elected in a closely contested race against Heather Lappin, securing a final lead of 495 votes. Pima County officials concluded the ballot counting process in the early hours of Sunday morning, with a recount anticipated due to the narrow margin.

Initially, Lappin, a lieutenant in the Sheriff’s Department who faced suspension from Nanos during the campaign, closely trailed behind. After the Thursday tally, she was just 187 votes away from Nanos. However, as votes continued to be counted over the weekend, Nanos extended his lead to 243,860 votes against Lappin’s 243,365.

The final hours of the vote count saw election officials meticulously process remaining ballots. The last update was issued at 3:12 a.m. on Sunday. Lappin remarked, “It’s over,” reflecting on the final outcome.

On Election Day, Nanos began with a commanding lead of approximately 25,000 votes from early ballots. However, by the next day’s count, his advantage had diminished to 9,213 as additional ballots were processed. Lappin consistently narrowed the gap, at one point trailing by just 199 votes on Wednesday night.

Despite Lappin’s in-person Election Day polling advantage—leading 41,478 to 25,586—Nanos maintained a substantial lead in early voting, with totals standing at 216,752 to 200,266. Provisional ballots played a critical role, with 3,552 of the estimated 6,000 confirmed valid, contributing significantly to the final tallies in the sheriff’s race.

A recount is mandatory due to the margin falling below half a percent of the total votes cast. The Pima County Board of Supervisors plans to certify the election results on Thursday before commencing the recount process.

Historically, recounts in Arizona have had minimal impact on outcomes. For instance, in the 2014 congressional race, a recount yielded just six additional votes, while a recount for the 2022 state attorney general race identified ballot-counting errors but did not alter the declared winner.

The race was marked by contention centering on the Pima County Jail, where recent investigations revealed high mortality rates. Nanos suspended Lappin late in the campaign, alleging collusion with a journalist to pay an inmate for a story. This has led to discussions among Pima County Supervisors regarding potential actions against Nanos for his decision.

Critics, including Supervisor Matt Heinz, condemned Nanos’ suspension of Lappin as an abuse of power, hoping for his resignation. Nanos defended his actions, stating that the administrative leave with pay was routine, aimed at ensuring workplace stability during the investigation.