Democrat Stringham hopes to rally GOP support in recorder race after Richer's defeat
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Tim Stringham, left, and State Rep. Justin Heap. Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photos: Courtesy of Tim Stringham's campaign; Jeremy Duda/Axios
Tim Stringham, the Democratic nominee for Maricopa County recorder, is hoping to rally Republican support after incumbent Stephen Richer's defeat in the GOP primary.
Why it matters: The county recorder oversees voter registration and early voting, the preferred method for most Maricopa County's voters.
The big picture: Richer has been among the most adamant defenders of the county's elections system and vigorous refuters of the false allegations of fraud and rigging promoted by Republican election deniers.
- That made him a top target of election deniers who echo former President Trump's false claims that the 2020 election in Arizona, which President Biden won, was rigged.
- State Rep. Justin Heap, who's backed by numerous Arizona election deniers, defeated Richer in the three-way GOP primary last month.
State of play: The day after the primary, Stringham posted an appeal to Richer's Republican supporters on X, writing, "If you voted for Stephen Richer, I imagine you did so because of his honesty in the face of lies over the last four years. I'm asking you to continue to vote for the honest candidate."
- If Richer had won the primary, the general election wouldn't be much of a race, Stringham told Axios.
- But it's a different ballgame with Heap as the GOP nominee, he said.
- Stringham said numerous Republicans called him to express support after the primary, and he's raised about $100,000 since then. As of mid-July, he reported raising around $77,000.
Context: Maricopa County is still predominantly Republican, but its voters have become increasingly willing to support Democrats in recent election cycles, particularly those whose Republican opponents are closely aligned with Trump.
- Democrat Adrian Fontes won the recorder's race in 2016.
Between the lines: Former Recorder Helen Purcell, a Republican who held the office from 1989 to 2017, told Axios that Heap hasn't given Richer's GOP backers any reason to support him, and she predicted that his refusal to say whether he thinks the 2020 or 2022 elections were stolen will make it difficult for him to appeal to swing voters.
- "A lot of those Richer voters were deliberate Richer voters," said Tyler Montague, a moderate Republican activist in the East Valley who's supporting Stringham. "They're the Republicans that don't believe the fraud conspiracies, everything that animated Heap's campaign."
- Steven Slugocki, a former Maricopa County Democratic Party chair, said Stringham will appeal to the same swing voters who helped Fontes win his first race.
The other side: Republican consultant Sean Noble said it'll be difficult for Stringham to reach Republican voters and get his message out in such a down-ballot race.
- "Without a very robust campaign that's very well-funded, he's got no chance," said Noble.
Heap didn't return a voicemail or respond to a text message from Axios.