Richer, Heap, and Hiatt Ignite Showdown in Maricopa County Recorder Republican Primary

A state representative and a political newcomer are positioning themselves to challenge incumbent Stephen Richer in the July 30 Republican primary for Maricopa County Recorder.

Typically, county recorder races do not attract significant attention, but Maricopa County has been under national scrutiny since 2020. This heightened visibility stems from allegations by Donald Trump and his supporters that the election was stolen from him, particularly pointing to Maricopa County.

The role of recorder in Maricopa County is especially crucial, given that it encompasses more than 60% of Arizona’s population and stands as the fourth-largest county in the United States.

Richer assumed office in 2021 and has since been a target for election conspiracy theorists. He is currently entangled in a defamation lawsuit against Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake, who wrongly accused him of rigging the 2022 election after her gubernatorial loss to Democrat Katie Hobbs.

One of Richer’s opponents is Rep. Justin Heap, a Mesa representative elected to the Arizona House in 2022 and a member of the far-right Arizona Freedom Caucus. Both Heap and Richer have backgrounds in law.

The third contender, Don Hiatt, is new to politics and comes from an information technology background. Hiatt brands himself as the sole “MAGA” candidate in the race.

Heap’s endorsements include Kari Lake and Arizona Congressmen Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, and Eli Crane. Richer, conversely, has secured backing from former Republican governors Jan Brewer and Doug Ducey.

Though Heap has not explicitly stated that the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen, his legislative actions suggest he holds such beliefs. He has voted for controversial bills aimed at prohibiting electronic tabulation of ballots, enforcing hand counts, eliminating early voting for most Arizonans, and replacing voting centers with smaller precincts.

Maricopa County and election professionals have criticized these proposals as impractical and influenced by unfounded election fraud theories.

Heap publicly criticized Maricopa County’s election procedures, expressing his intent to restore “honesty, transparency & integrity” in elections.

In Maricopa County, the recorder oversees early mail-in voting and voter registration, while the Board of Supervisors handles in-person voting and tabulation.

Richer, who ran for recorder in 2020, initially released a thorough critique of the county’s election administration under the previous Democratic recorder, Adrian Fontes. Once in office, he defended the county’s electoral integrity amidst ongoing allegations of election fraud and a discredited partisan audit.

Hiatt condemns Heap’s non-committal stance on election fraud but shares similar plans focused on fraud prevention and transparency. Despite their promises, certain responsibilities, such as accelerating election results, lie beyond the recorder’s authority.

Richer campaigns on his track record, emphasizing conservative values and election transparency.

The eventual Republican nominee will confront Democratic candidate Timothy Stringham in the November election.