On Election Day this year, Arizonans will choose more than the candidates they want representing them and what they want for the future of the state. In a way, they'll be reconsidering the 2020 election — whether they like it or not.
Running for secretary of state, a position critical to certifying Arizona's election results, are two candidates whose signature difference is how they see the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Former President Joe Biden narrowly won Maricopa County, the state of Arizona and the U.S. election. It's an outcome President Donald Trump has never accepted, along with many Republicans seeking voter approval this year.
Incumbent Democrat Adrian Fontes, who was the Maricopa County recorder in 2020, maintains Arizona's
elections are fair and safe. This includes the tabulation of mail-in ballots, which have become a hot-button issue for Republicans nationally.
"People don't realize Arizona's vote-by-mail system is one of the most complex and best vote-by-mail systems in the United States of America," he told The Gaggle earlier this year.
Representing Republicans in the race for secretary of state is Arizona state Rep. Alex Kolodin.
Kolodin has defended the alternative slate of electors who tried to set aside Arizona’s certified election results in 2020 and Cyber Ninjas, the company that led the amateurish and partisan recount of Maricopa County’s 2020 ballots.
He was involved in the failed "kraken lawsuits," and state regulators found four lawsuits he brought related to the 2020 election violated rules for attorneys. He favors more voting restrictions he views as necessary to ensure the integrity of the state's elections.
After winning the Republican primary against Gina Swoboda, he released a statement saying, "This victory shows that Arizonans are sick and tired of Adrian Fontes' mismanagement of our election system."
This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Stephanie Murray takes the guest seat to discuss one of the biggest races of the year with co-host Ron Hansen. They talk about what separates these candidates and what is at stake for Arizona's future.
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Reach producer Amanda Luberto at amanda.luberto@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X @amandaluberto.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Secretary of state rivals spar over mail ballots, election integrity
