On July 30, both County Recorder Stephen Richer and Supervisor Jack sellers lost their reelection bids for similar reasons.
Both men have presented staunch opposition those who claimed that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 and 2022 elections in Arizona.
Both men have expressed their positions in a manner that enraged enough Republicans to cause enough opposition to ensure their defeat at the polls. Had they gone along with some of the demands, the outcome of the election could have been quite different.
Here is Richer’s concession message:
It’s been a privilege. Thank you.
Elections have winners and, sadly, losers. And in this one, it looks like I’m going to end up on the losing side of the column.
But that’s the name of the game. Accept it. Move on.
Congratulations to @azjustinheap on winning the primary (I haven’t called him yet to congratulate him because calling him at 7:00 AM seems… unsportsmanlike?).
In my remaining 4 months in office, I will be sure to:
1) Ensure the continued efficient and lawful execution of my duties in recording, voter registration, and mail voting. I’m so proud of how my team (@RecordersOffice) did this election. Our voter rolls were in better shape than they’ve ever been. Mail voting went off without a hitch. And on the Board of Supervisors side (@MaricopaVote, @maricopacounty), they executed an amazing in-person election yesterday. It was basically serene at the office. We had over 800k votes in this election. But we will likely have over 2 million in Maricopa County in November, so buckle up!
2) Ensure that either @azjustinheap or @TimStringhamAZ has everything he needs to hit the ground running in January 2025. My predecessor (@Adrian_Fontes) showed grace, class, professionalism, and selflessness in how he handled the transition. And considering she embodies class and professionalism, I’m sure Helen Purcell did the same.
So I won’t be the one to drop the baton! (Note: one of my friends said the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office is basically like teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. It’s cursed. So best wishes to my successor!) …………………..
As for me, I’m excited for whatever comes next. And if it’s back in business, out of the spotlight, well … that sounds just dandy! I’ll likely be writing some longer form stuff in the future. I’ve subjected you all to some of my longer reports before (in many ways this journey really got going when I wrote my 38-page open letter to Arizona Republicans in 2021). It’s something I enjoy, and the last few years have given me a lot to think about in terms of election administration, democracy, politics, humans, etc. That’s for another day, but for my last bit today — the most important bit –
THANK YOU to the people who worked in my office the past 4 years and the people who supported my political efforts. You’re the best. Onward!
Seller’s message was different:
There were some striking differences between the two messages.
Richer’s was upbeat, conciliatory, and optimistic. He included the obligatory congratulation to the winner and the thanks to his supporters, but he went beyond that. He pledged cooperation with the new Recorder to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Regardless of what people think of Richer’s performance while in office, everyone should agree that his exit was a class act.
Sellers, on the other hand, was not so magnanimous. He apparently could not resist taking a parting shot at his opponents.
Sellers’ message would have been much better if the whole paragraph about election deniers would have been omitted.
Republicans should not forget that what happened on July 30 was just the culmination of part one of a three-stage operation. The next step is to win in the general election, and after that, what could be the toughest stage, namely correcting whatever deficiencies we currently have.
To succeed, Republicans need to build a consensus. They cannot afford to alienate anyone.
