PHOENIX — State Rep. Justin Heap of Mesa seized on the first opportunity to unseat election officials who knocked down false claims about the 2020 and 2022 elections. He defeated both Stephen Richer, the incumbent, and information technology professor Donald Hiatt in the GOP primary for Maricopa County recorder, the Associated Press reports.
Richer took office in early 2021 after unseating a Democratic incumbent. He drew criticism in some conservative circles for calling out former President Donald Trump and others for falsehoods about the 2020 election, which Joe Biden won in Arizona by 10,457 votes.
Track the latest primary results here.
Richer was later criticized by Lake, who claimed her defeat in the 2022 governor’s race was due to election fraud. Even though her legal challenges were rejected by the courts, Lake continues to claim that Richer and other Maricopa County officials interfered in the election to prevent her from winning.
Richer later filed a defamation lawsuit against Lake, saying he faced “violent vitriol and other dire consequences” because of lies spread by Lake, including death threats and the loss of friendships.
Richer said he has done his best to defend the integrity of the election system in the face of falsehoods, has worked to clean up voter rolls and has been on the winning side of lawsuits that challenge election results.
Do you have a concern in your community or a news tip? We want to hear from you!
Connect with us: share@abc15.com
The recorder’s office runs voter registration and early voting efforts in the state’s most populous county.
Heap stops short of saying the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen but said thousands of Republican voters don’t have faith in the county’s election operations. Like Hiatt, Heap said the county has insecure practices for handling early ballots.
Heap will face the race’s lone Democrat, attorney Tim Stringham, in the Nov. 5 general election.
