Gov. Katie Hobbs raises alarm over election feud as early voting begins

Gov. Katie Hobbs on Tuesday expressed concern that the ongoing feud between Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap and the Board of Supervisors could distract from the start of early voting, which begins Wednesday ahead of Arizona’s July 21 primary.

“That is what the county election officials should be focused on instead of this feud,” Hobbs said at a news conference. “I’m worried that it is distracting them from the job at hand.”

An ongoing feud threatens could voting in Maricopa County

The dispute centers on who controls election infrastructure in Maricopa County.

After taking office in January 2025, Heap terminated an agreement his predecessor Stephen Richer signed which transferred IT staff, servers and voter registration systems to the board. A court ruled in April that the board must return them.

Heap argued the board was not complying with the ruling, withholding staff, systems and more than $5 million in election funds, and asked the court to impose fines of $100,000 per day.

Last week, an appeals court issued an emergency stay of the injunction, citing the risk of disrupting election procedures weeks before the primary.

Katie Hobbs weighs in as former Secretary of State

Hobbs, a former secretary of state, said her administration is providing support where they can.

“I know firsthand how much preparation goes into successfully executing an election,” she said. “We’re continuing to work with local and state election officials to ensure that our elections remain free and secure, and that Arizonans who are eligible are able to participate to the fullest extent in both the upcoming primary and November’s elections.”

Arizona’s primary features competitive races in several congressional districts, including the 1st Congressional District, where four Democrats and three Republicans are vying for the open seat vacated by Rep. David Schweikert, who is running for governor.

Early ballots will be mailed to voters starting Wednesday.

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