Screenshot: Maricopa County Attorney forum || KAET-TV
By Chelsea Curtis || Arizona Republic
The two candidates competing to close out what’s left of the Maricopa County attorney’s term laid out their plans for the office, criminal justice reform and abortion during a televised debate on Thursday.
Once thought of as a “down-ballot” race, civil rights organizations and criminal justice advocacy groups have levied criticism and pressure campaigns against the County Attorney’s Office in recent years, emphasizing its importance and potential for abuse of power.
Several high-profile incidents, including a failed attempt to prosecute protesters as gang members, nearly 200 botched criminal cases, and scrutiny from her staff and other elected officials about her sobriety and absence from work, prompted former County Attorney Allister Adel’s to resign in March.
It triggered a special election to select who would serve out the remainder of her term, which ends on Jan. 1, 2025. Adel died 6 weeks after her resignation at age 45.
Rachel Mitchell — who was appointed to the position in April after Adel resigned — is running against Democratic candidate Julie Gunnigle to serve the remaining two years of the attorney’s four-year term.
