Adrian Fontes (D) and Mark Finchem (R) are running for Arizona secretary of state on Nov. 8, 2022. Incumbent Katie Hobbs (D) is running for governor of Arizona.
Duties of the Arizona secretary of state include serving as the state’s chief election officer and keeping the state’s official records. As Arizona is one of five states that does not have a lieutenant governor position, the secretary of state also serves as acting governor when the governor is out of state and is first in the gubernatorial line of succession.
Fontes served as Maricopa County Recorder from 2017 to 2021. In his response to Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey, Fontes highlighted his experience as county recorder, saying that he had “revolutionized Arizona’s elections by registering half a million new voters, providing direct outreach to traditionally underserved communities, and making voting free, fair, and accessible to all.” Fontes’ campaign website also says he “enhanced ballot tracking technology and increased process transparency[.]” The website says Fontes is “committed to preserving integrity in our elections, increasing transparency in the Secretary of State’s office, making voting easier for registered voters, and ensuring that Arizona’s business community has a partner in the Secretary’s office.”
