Rachel Mitchell wins Republican primary for Maricopa County Attorney

PHOENIX — Rachel Mitchell on Wednesday captured the Republican primary for Maricopa County Attorney, a role she has held in the interim since being appointed earlier this year.

Mitchell said in a press release on Wednesday night that opponent Gina Godbehere called to congratulate her on winning the race.

She had received 58% of the vote and led by nearly 54,000 votes as of the 7 p.m. results drop on Wednesday, according to the Maricopa County Elections Department.

“I am honored that voters have recognized my commitment to protecting our neighborhoods, leading with courage and integrity and following the rule of law,” Mitchell said in the release.

“I am deeply grateful to everyone who has stood beside me as I’ve worked to restore trust in the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.”

Mitchell will take on Julie Gunnigle, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, to serve the remainder of Allister Adel’s term. The winner will be up for reelection again in 2024.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors picked Mitchell in April for the role on an interim basis due to her past experience which could allow her to hit the ground running.

Mitchell previously served as the acting Maricopa County attorney in 2019 when Bill Montgomery was appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court.

She was picked over Godbehere and Anni Foster for the role that by law had to be a Republican since that was Adel’s party affiliation. Foster withdrew from the race shortly after Mitchell was appointed.

Mitchell previously said the process of her stepping into the role has gone smoothly, despite inheriting a backlog of cases that had yet to be reviewed.

She also announced the creation of an organized retail theft team that looks to ensure successful prosecution of the crimes.

Mitchell said she will use Arizona’s abortion laws as a guideline for addressing potential cases that come to her office after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade but offered a potential willingness to not prosecute those resulting from sexual assault, a stance her Democratic opponent in the November general election said only caused more confusion.

Adel resigned from the office in March shortly after it was disclosed that nearly 200 misdemeanor criminal cases had to be dropped because charges weren’t filed on time, concluding a tumultuous time in the office.

She died at age 45 in April from health complications.

Follow @KTAR923