Arizona elections official leading new democracy lab at ASU

The big picture: Gates decided not to seek re-election last year after being accused of rigging the 2020 and 2022 elections for Democrats because he certified the results.

• "Few people in their political careers have an inflection point like that. And [the county supervisors] did," Gates said. " [N]ow we're sort of viewed as pariahs in our party."

Threat level: He's revealed that the experience left him with PTSD.

What they're saying: "Because of what I've been through, because of what my colleagues have been through, I think it would be sort of tragic for me to just go and practice law," Gates said of his new gig.

• He told Axios he hopes he can help students understand the importance of protecting their mental health if they pursue similar careers.

The bottom line: Gates said he was in high school when the Berlin Wall fell and always dreamed of assisting a former Soviet nation in establishing a democratic election system.

• "I never thought that I'd be fighting for democracy in my own country," he said.