Sheriff Nanos Holds Narrow Lead Over Lappin as Pima Vote Count Drags On

Sheriff Chris Nanos, a Democrat, is facing a dwindling lead against Republican Heather Lappin in the race for re-election. New election results released by Pima County on Wednesday night indicated Nanos’ advantage has narrowed to just 199 votes.

This significant shift is largely attributed to Lappin, who previously served as a lieutenant in the Sheriff’s Department and was suspended by Nanos in the closing weeks of the campaign. Initially, on Election Day, Nanos held a commanding lead of approximately 25,000 votes based on early ballots. However, as more votes were tallied, that lead eroded dramatically.

The day following the election, Nanos’ lead decreased to 9,213 votes after ballots cast at vote centers were counted. Lappin continued to gain ground, reducing the gap further to 4,006 votes by Monday and to just 1,595 votes on Tuesday. The most recent figures show Nanos at 241,130 votes while Lappin stands at 240,931.

Pima County officials report there are still 8,813 ballots pending, including 6,090 provisional ballots. These provisional ballots pose issues as many are cast by voters from outside Pima County, limiting their eligibility to be included in the final tally.

If Lappin emerges victorious, she will make history as Arizona’s first elected female sheriff. “I didn’t do it because I’m a female. I did it because I wanted to make change in the department,” Lappin remarked on Election Night, expressing her excitement about potentially being a role model for her daughter.

The campaign has been marked by intense debates over the management of the Pima County Jail, which has been criticized due to a high number of fatalities in recent years. A year-long investigation highlighted the facility as one of the deadliest in the United States.

Nanos suspended Lappin, alleging she colluded with a journalist to compensate a jail inmate for a story. While Lappin worked as a commander at the jail, an ethics expert remarked on the appropriateness of such payments for facilitating access to information.

In response to Nanos’ actions, the Pima County Board of Supervisors debated whether to censure him. Ultimately, they opted to request a review of the situation by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Several supervisors criticized Nanos at a recent meeting, with Supervisor Matt Heinz accusing him of using his position to retaliate against Lappin. Heinz expressed disappointment over Nanos’ absence from the gathering and suggested he should resign.

Nanos defended his decision, stating that there was no suspension or financial penalty involved for Lappin, noting that administrative leave with pay is commonly used to maintain workplace stability during investigations. “Unfortunately, the Board is seemingly ignorant of their own policies,” he asserted in a text communication.