The Secretary of State candidate shared promotes campaign, sharing passion to serve underrepresented communities
Adrian Fontes gives young voters a call to action/Photo by Diannie Chavez | The State Press
Former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes speaks to attendees during the Presidential Preference Election Town Hall on Saturday, February 15, 2019, in Lattie F. Coor Hall on the Tempe campus.
By Alexis Waiss |The State Press
Adrian Fontes, Democratic Secretary of State candidate and former Maricopa County Recorder, expressed his dedication to advocacy for young voters, serving underrepresented communities and “protecting this democracy” Friday at an ASU Young Democrats general meeting.
Fontes — an ASU alum who graduated in 1998 with a communication degree — was unseated from his position as Maricopa County Recorder in the 2020 election. According to Ballotpedia, Fontes, as County Recorder, was responsible for “handling marriage licenses and deeds, collecting campaign finance information from local candidates, and administering elections.”
Jose Munguia, vice president of ASU Young Democrats and a senior studying economics, said it was important to hear from candidates running for office “in spaces that mainly concern us as a student body.”
Fontes asked the crowd to consider his tenure as Maricopa County Recorder as making him a credible candidate for Secretary of State. He will run against Reginald Bolding in the Democratic primary in August 2022.
Similar to County Recorders, those who are elected Secretary of State oversee election policy, however, their range of power reaches a statewide level. In addition, the Secretary of State has the ability to serve as acting governor.
Fontes listed several accomplishments he achieved as county recorder, including the establishment of vote centers, the ability for one to track their ballot and the addition of roundtables for those with disabilities and communities of color.
