Rachel Mitchell appointed as interim Maricopa County Attorney

PHOENIX — Rachel Mitchell was appointed Wednesday by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to serve as interim county attorney until the special election is held later this year to replace Allister Adel.

Mitchell, chief deputy in the county attorney’s office, was one of three members of the GOP who were interviewed for the role. The interim position has to be held by a Republican since that was Adel’s party affiliation.

Gina Godbehere and Anni Foster, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s general counsel, were the other two candidates under consideration from the board.

“I looked at who was ready to go into that office today to start running it and start running it for the next six months,” Chairman Bill Gates said during a special meeting.

“And for me, Rachel Mitchell came to the top.”

The three Republicans who were being considered for the interim role were recently interviewed by the board. All three, including Mitchell, said the board didn’t err in certifying the 2020 election.

Mitchell is familiar with the role. She served as the acting Maricopa County attorney in 2019 when Bill Montgomery was appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court.

She is also well known for her role in U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings.

Mitchell questioned Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault in high school, and said she wouldn’t have filed charges against him.

Mitchell, Godbehere and Foster received enough signatures to qualify for the GOP side of the ballot for the Aug. 2 primary. Julie Gunnigle qualified for the Democrats.

The general election will be held Nov. 8.

Adel resigned from the role March 21 following a tumultuous time in office, including the disclosure that nearly 200 misdemeanor criminal cases had to be dropped because the office didn’t file charges on time.

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