ARIZONA NEWS

Democrat Julie Gunnigle to be on ballot for Maricopa County attorney special election

Mar 22, 2022, 4:59 PM

(Facebook Photo/Julie Gunnigle)...

(Facebook Photo/Julie Gunnigle)

(Facebook Photo/Julie Gunnigle)

PHOENIX — It took Democrat Julie Gunnigle about a day to receive enough valid signatures to be on the ballot for the upcoming special election to replace Allister Adel as Maricopa County attorney.

Gunnigle announced Tuesday on KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Gaydos and Chad that she reached the 4,289 signatures needed for Democrats.

“I think it speaks to what the county wants and needs,” Gunnigle said. “I think there’s a lot of frustration right now with the way that office has been run, so good on them signing.”

Gunnigle was the Democratic nominee for county attorney in 2020 and lost to Adel by under 2 percentage points, receiving about 930,000 votes.

She said she was quick to jump into the race because she believes both Democrats and Republicans have been “historically bad” when it comes to criminal justice reform.

Gunnigle added that she has been critical of Adel, whose term expires at the start of 2025.

Adel announced her resignation from the country’s third-largest prosecutorial agency on Monday but didn’t offer a reason.

The announcement gave some closure to a tumultuous period in office, including the recent disclosure that nearly 200 misdemeanor criminal cases had to be dropped because her office didn’t file charges on time and continued concerns about her sobriety.

“I’ve been a vocal critic of Allister Adel for the last several years, but to her credit, she did the right thing by the people of Maricopa County to resign and let someone else move into that office,” Gunnigle said.

The special election to determine who will serve the final two years of Adel’s term will be held along with the state’s midterm elections, with the primary on Aug. 2 and the general on Nov. 8.

Gunnigle and Anni Foster, a Republican who is Gov. Doug Ducey’s general counsel, quickly filed their statements of interest on Monday.

Three more candidates filed statements of interest by Tuesday afternoon, according to the county recorder: Republicans Gina Godbehere and James Austin Woods, and Libertarian Michael Kielsky.

The number of valid signatures needed to get on the ballot is 4,528 for a Republican and 2,319 for a Libertarian in addition to 4,289 for a Democrat, according to the county recorder.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

(Facebook Photo/Phoenix Police Department, file)...

KTAR.com

Police identify teen boy who died after shooting in central Phoenix

A teenage boy who was shot and later died in central Phoenix on Saturday afternoon has been identified, according to Phoenix Police. 

4 hours ago

Solar panels...

Damon Allred

Gila River Indian Community to receive solar panels over canals

The Biden-Harris Administration will give $5.65 million to construct and install solar panels over the Casa Blanca Canal.

7 hours ago

Artist rendering of the upcoming Taco Viva restaurant in Phoenix. (Aline Architecture)...

Brandon Brown/Phoenix Business Journal

Real estate investor to open drive-thru Taco Viva restaurant in Phoenix

Taco Viva, a new restaurant founded by the managing director of a Scottsdale real estate investment firm, is set to open in early 2024.

8 hours ago

(Facebook Photo)...

Associated Press

Pilot killed in small plane crash near Eloy Municipal Airport

A pilot has been killed in a small plane crash in a vacant lot near Eloy Municipal Airport, about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, police said.

19 hours ago

Firebird Motorsports Park....

KTAR.com

Chandler racing complex renamed Firebird Motorsports Park

Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler has a new name -- Firebird Motorsports Park.

21 hours ago

Pamela Andrews...

KTAR.com

Silver Alert canceled after 68-year-old woman located

The Mesa Police Department canceled a Silver Alert on Saturday after locating Pamela Andrew, the Arizona Department of Safety says.

21 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Follow @KTAR923...

The best ways to honor our heroes on Veterans Day and give back to the community

Veterans Day is fast approaching and there's no better way to support our veterans than to donate to the Military Assistance Mission.

...

Dierdre Woodruff

Interest rates may have peaked. Should you buy a CD, high-yield savings account, or a fixed annuity?

Interest rates are the highest they’ve been in decades, and it looks like the Fed has paused hikes. This may be the best time to lock in rates for long-term, low-risk financial products like fixed annuities.

Follow @KTAR923...

The 2023 Diamondbacks are a good example to count on the underdog

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the World Series as a surprise. That they made the playoffs at all, got past the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card round, swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS and won two road games in Philadelphia to close out a full seven-game NLCS went against every expectation. Now, […]

Democrat Julie Gunnigle to be on ballot for Maricopa County attorney special election