KJZZ is a service of Rio Salado College,
and Maricopa Community Colleges

Copyright © 2024 KJZZ/Rio Salado College/MCCCD
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

2022 Arizona secretary of state race: The candidates

Here are the candidates so far in the 2022 race for Arizona secretary of state.

Katie Hobbs, the current Arizona secretary of state, has declined seeking a second term in favor of running for governor.

Mark Finchem

Party: Republican
Website:  votefinchem.com

Mark Finchem, a state representative and perhaps the most fervent election-denier running for secretary of state, is basing his 2022 campaign on the 2020 election – which he’s still gathering signatures for a petition to decertify nearly two years later. Finchem’s baseless assertions that the election was rigged have earned him a valuable ally, former President Donald Trump, the man the election was allegedly rigged against.

Adrian Fontes

Party: Democrat
Website: electfontes.com

In 2020, Fontes was a key figure in charge of election operations in Maricopa County, while also running for re-election as the county’s recorder. His loss in the race has served as a defense of the election’s integrity – why would a Democrat scheme to rig an election but lose to a Republican, some argue. Undeterred by the loss, Fontes is now running for the top election position in the state as a fierce defender of the integrity of the 2020 election, and equally fierce critic of Republicans he says are attempting to sow doubts.

More stories from KJZZ

Ben Giles is a senior editor at KJZZ.