Clint Hickman says threats deterring Arizonans from seeking office
Feb 20, 2024, 4:35 AM
PHOENIX — Clint Hickman announced Thursday he would not seek reelection for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and while his decision was made in the interest of his family, the Republican believes continued vitriol is driving people away from elected positions in Arizona.
“Bad behaviors are driving the best and keeping them away from giving their service to this community,” Hickman told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Friday. “But they didn’t drive me out.
“What drove me out is I think I’ve done enough and I want to be here for my family.”
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Hickman has served on the board, representing District 4 in the West Valley, since his appointment in 2013. His tenure, especially during the fallout from the 2020 election, has been marked with threats, but Hickman said he’s brushed them off.
That includes a threat from an Iowa man who received a 30-month prison sentence after he left Hickman a voicemail that ended with “You’re gonna die, you piece of [expletive]. We’re going to hang you. We’re going to hang you” in September 2021.
“I’m not going to give anybody the benefit of thinking that this is scaring me out of a job,” Hickman said. “In fact, it’s just poor behavior — it’s juvenile behavior.
“I’m raising kids and I deal with that behavior sometimes and I have to swallow it.”
Bill Gates, also a supervisor who is not running for reelection, told The Washington Post in May he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after being subjected to harassment and threats over the county’s elections.
All five supervisor seats are up for election in November.
Hickman said that when the dust settles, he hopes people remember his tenure for his accomplishments and nothing more.
“I couldn’t be happier with my term and someday people are going to look back at this and go, ‘Damn, he did what he said’ and the West Valley is better for it, much less the county,” Hickman said.
