Conservative state Rep. Justin Heap launched a GOP primary challenge to Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a prominent target of people who falsely believe the past two elections in Arizona were rigged.

Why it matters: Heap's entrance sets up a competitive primary in the race to determine who will manage the county's elections.

• He was joined at a press conference yesterday by Republican lawmakers who have espoused conspiracy theories about rigged 2020 and 2022 elections.

Reality check: Most election procedures are either dictated by state law or the secretary of state's office or are decided by the county's board of supervisors. Election Day operations in Maricopa are run by an elections director who answers to the board, not the recorder.

Zoom in: Heap said yesterday that Maricopa County has been plagued by years of election problems, and he accused Richer of diminishing voter confidence.

• He cited Arizona's notorious delayed results (which have stemmed from laborious signature verification for early ballots dropped off on Election Day) and hours-long lines at voting centers in the 2022 general election (which were caused by equipment problems).
• He also noted that Richer created a political action committee to influence races in the 2022 election that his office oversaw.

The other side: Richer tells Axios he's always followed the law as county recorder, citing his successful record in lawsuits against his office.

• "Some of these things might sound nice, but anyone who's actually worked in this process would look at that and say this person doesn't know what they're talking about. Which is true. But that's OK," he tells Axios.

Zoom out: Heap criticized Richer for some issues that are outside of the recorder's authority.

• Some solutions he proposed yesterday are permitted by laws passed only since the last election and weren't available to Richer in 2022.

Between the lines: Heap wouldn't say whether he believed the 2022 election was stolen from GOP nominee Kari Lake, who has filed multiple failed lawsuits alleging she's the rightfully elected governor, telling reporters, "I'm an attorney. I will only make statements I feel I can prove."

• He also wouldn't say after the press conference whether he thinks President Biden won Arizona in 2020, saying he's "not interested in rehashing" what happened in past elections.

The intrigue: Several other Republicans have filed to run for recorder, and that could aid Richer by splitting the opposition vote.

Go deeper

January is getting drier every year. And February may not be far behind.

State of play: Sales of nonalcoholic beer in Arizona during the first four weeks of the year have increased by more than 260% since 2020.

• People in the Phoenix area bought nearly $878,000 worth of booze-free suds this year, about 2.6 times what we bought in January 2020: $336,000.

The big picture: Nonalcoholic beer sales in the Valley mirror a national trend that has seen the popularity of "Dry January" surge in recent years.

• Nationally, sales more than tripled from $13.5 million in January 2020 to $42.7 million this year.

Why it matters: This year, huge interest in the annual booze-free challenge Dry January marked a change in the way American adults think about alcohol.

Zoom in: The search term "Dry February" is being Googled more than ever in the U.S., with search interest this month 30% higher than last February, according to Google Trends' Katie Seaton.

• And search interest in Dry January has increased every January since 2014.

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TikTok food critic Keith Lee is in the Valley this week taste-testing restaurants for his 15.9 million followers, and he's giving locals an opportunity to try a struggling Korean corn dog shop on his dime.

The big picture: Lee gave Myungrang Hotdog Mesa $2,500 to pay for the meals of its next few hundred customers, he revealed in a TikTok video Tuesday night.

• "[The owner] didn't sound like he was confident that enough customers were going to come in to use $2,500 worth of food, but I told him, 'You never know. God is amazing,'" Lee said.

Why it matters: Lee's ability to boost business at restaurants has been dubbed the "Keith Lee Effect," making his visits highly sought after for local food scenes.

Catch up quick: The restaurant's owners reached out to Lee after he announced his Arizona visit and explained they were struggling to keep the shop open.

Zoom in: Lee stopped into the completely empty shop and bought a variety pack, which included five dog flavors: Original with Sugar, Potato Flamin' Hot Cheetos, Squid-ink & Mozzarella, Sweet Potato and Mozzarella Ramen.

Lee's thoughts: As a "texture person," Lee said he was fond of the crispy casings on each of the corn dogs and encouraged customers to go heavy on dipping sauces — especially the sweet chili one.

Lee's other review

🧑‍⚖️ Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a lawsuit against a software company and nine prominent landlords, accusing them of engaging in price-fixing that led to "astronomical" apartment rent hikes. (AZcentral)

🍔 Atlanta-based cheeseburger chain Smalls Sliders plans to bring 22 locations to metro Phoenix. (Phoenix Business Journal)

❄️ The Arizona Department of Transportation announced the winners of its second name-a-snowplow contest: "Scoopacabra, "Snowbi-Wan Kenobi" and "Fast and Flurryous." (KTAR)

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Welcome to another edition of "Where in the Valley?"

How it works: We show you something cool. You tell us where it is.

• The first reader who names the spot gets a shout-out in the newsletter.

You tell us: Where in the Valley can you find this NASCAR mural?