Republican Mark Finchem, a 2020 election denier, says he wants to improve the integrity of your vote as Arizona’s next secretary of state.
ABC15 sat down one-on-one with Finchem, who is currently a state representative, to talk about his platform and efforts to cast doubt on the official results of the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County.
Finchem is one of several America First secretary of state candidates who are endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Democratic candidate Adrian Fontes was Maricopa County Recorder during the 2020 election.
In an interview with ABC15, Fontes said he’s running to ensure elections occur with integrity and predictability.
Finchem went to Washington on January 6, 2021.
“I was there to deliver an evidence packet to Congressman Gosar and Congressman Biggs based upon the November 30 ad-hoc hearing, public hearing, on election integrity,” Finchem told ABC15.
Finchem then attended the “Stop the Steal” rally and marched toward the U.S. Capitol. He told ABC15 that federal officials later questioned him about his actions that day.
“It’s interesting to note, the DOJ, FBI, and J [January] 6th Commission – they’ve all treated me like a witness, not a suspect,” Finchem said. The DOJ would not comment to ABC15 when asked about Finchem’s statements.
ABC15 asked Finchem about his association with the Oath Keepers, a far-right, anti-government militia. The group has ties to white nationalism the January 6 insurrection.
”The radical left has tried to make that an issue,” Finchem said. He admitted he attended at least one Oath Keepers meeting, but he said that meeting was seven years ago.
“I know very few people who are quote ‘Oath Keepers,’ members of an organization,” Finchem said. “I am, by definition, one who took an oath, and I intend to keep that oath. Not a part of that organization, but I certainly am an oath taker, an oath steward, an oath keeper.”
When asked to clarify, Finchem said, “I’m not part of an organization. I went to a formation meeting. Okay. So what?”
Finchem said he wants to end the wide usage of Arizona’s early voting list and mail-in ballots.
During the interview he expressed a distrust of the U.S. Postal Service, adding he wants to stop using computerized ballot-counting machines in part because he says Dominion will not share its computer codes with Finchem so he can inspect it.
Finchem has proposed reverting to paper ballots, cast in person on election day, and he wants to hire additional election workers to count the ballots by hand. He points to France which uses paper ballots and similar hand counts.
Finchem admits those changes would have to be approved by the state legislature and the governor.
The secretary of state can't change Arizona’s existing law.
Finchem says, if he’s elected, election day will look similar to what it is today.
“That means the secretary of state essentially supervises 15 different counties to see to it that they are living by the law,” Finchem said. “In fact, that's the primary function of the secretary of state [to] hold people accountable to do one thing: just follow the law.”
Finchem hopes he has enough of a following to win in November.
