Adrian Fontes
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Adrian Fontes (born April 3, 1970) is an American politician and attorney. A member of the Democratic Party, he has served as the
Secretary of State of Arizona The secretary of state of Arizona is an elected position in the U.S. state of Arizona. Since Arizona does not have a lieutenant governor, the secretary stands first in the line of succession to the governorship. The secretary also serves as act ...
since 2023, after defeating Republican nominee
Mark Finchem Mark William Finchem (born April 24, 1957) is an American far-right politician who serves as a member of the Arizona Senate. He was previously a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing District 11 from 2015 to 2023. He is th ...
in 2022. Fontes previously served as the
Maricopa County Maricopa County () is a county in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census the population was 4,420,568, or about 62% of the state's total, making it the fourth-most populous county in the United States and ...
Recorder from 2017 to 2021.


Early life and career

Fontes was raised in
Nogales, Arizona Nogales (; English: or ) is a city in and the county seat of Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The population was 20,837 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and estimated 20,103 in 2019. Nogales forms part of the larger Tucson–Nogales L ...
. His family has lived in southern Arizona for more than 300 years, even before Arizona became a state. Fontes served in the
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
from 1992 to 1996, where he taught a marksmanship course. He earned his bachelor's degree in Communications from
Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...
in 1998. When he returned, he attended the
Sturm College of Law The Sturm College of Law ("Denver Law") is the professional graduate law school of the University of Denver. It is one of two law schools in the state of Colorado. Founded in 1892, the Sturm College of Law was one of the first in America's Mount ...
at the
University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private research university in Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1864, it has an enrollment of approximately 5,700 undergraduate students and 7,200 graduate students. It is classified among "R1: D ...
and graduated in 2000 with a
Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
degree. Fontes has served as a prosecutor with the
Denver District Attorney's Office The Denver District Attorney's Office is responsible for the prosecution of state criminal violations in the Second Judicial District. Colorado has 64 counties within the 22 judicial districts in the State. The office is composed of approximately 7 ...
, Maricopa County Attorney's Office and the
Arizona Attorney General The Arizona attorney general is the chief legal officer of the State of Arizona, in the United States. This state officer is the head of the Arizona Department of Law, more commonly known as the Arizona Attorney General's Office. The state attorn ...
's Office, and as an attorney in private practice.


Maricopa County Recorder (2017–2021)


Elections


2016

Fontes ran for Maricopa County Recorder against 28-year incumbent Helen Purcell. Fontes announced his candidacy the day after Maricopa County's 2016 presidential preference election, which was perceived by some as having been mismanaged by Purcell due to the reduction in the number of polling places in the county, causing long lines that stretched for blocks and left some voters waiting for hours. Latino community leaders raised concerns about voter suppression when areas with predominantly Latino populations had one or no polling places open during Arizona's presidential preference election. On October 27, 2016, the Arizona Republic newspaper endorsed Fontes. On November 14, 2016, Purcell conceded the race. Fontes was the first Democrat to be elected Maricopa County Recorder in over 50 years.


2018

In 2018, as part of an organized effort by the GOP to raise suspicions about voter fraud, the Arizona GOP commissioned attorney Stephen Richer to conduct an "independent audit," which aired baseless and unsubstantiated insinuations about Soros and Fontes.


2020

Fontes ran for re-election in 2020, losing by fewer than 5,000 votes to Republican candidate Stephen Richer. Once Stephen Richer won the 2020 election, he backpedaled and distanced himself from the Soros and Fontes voter fraud conspiracies he spread while campaigning against Fontes.


Tenure

As Maricopa County Recorder, Fontes piloted the use of vote centers, where any voter in the county could cast a ballot regardless of precinct. In the November 2018 election, Maricopa County operated 40 vote centers. Fontes also expanded
early voting Early voting, also called advance polling or pre-poll voting, is a convenience voting process by which voters in a public election can vote before a scheduled Election Day (politics), election day. Early voting can take place remotely, such as v ...
options in Maricopa County. As the County Recorder, Fontes oversaw the counting of ballots in Maricopa County's elections in 2020. While the ballots were being counted in the Maricopa County Recorder's Office, protesters gathered outside over the course of several days, including conspiracy theorist
Alex Jones Alexander Emerick Jones (born February 11, 1974) is an American Far-right politics, far-right radio host, radio show host and prominent conspiracy theorist. He hosts ''The Alex Jones Show'' from Austin, Texas. ''The Alex Jones Show'' is the lo ...
. Fontes worried that there would be an invasion into the building, and met with sheriff's department and other law-enforcement agencies about establishing a secure perimeter around the building where Fontes' staff was counting ballots but was determined there was no real threat. Due to the unrest Maricopa County Recorder's Office, Fontes and his family packed "go-bags" in case they needed to leave their home on short notice, found back-up housing, and his children evacuated for several days. Fontes has claimed that
Jake Angeli Jacob Anthony Chansley (born 1988), also known as Jake Angeli, also known as the QAnon Shaman, Q Shaman, and Yellowstone Wolf, is an American conspiracy theorist and convicted felon who participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attac ...
, the "QAnon Shaman," was one of the protestors at the Recorders Office. After the 2020 election, Fontes joined
Pima County Pima County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 List of counties in Arizona, counties in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1 ...
Recorder-elect Gabriella Cázares-Kelly's transition team as an interim chief deputy recorder after losing his re-election.


Criticism of 2021 Maricopa County election audit

Fontes was a vocal critic of the Maricopa County election audit. On July 28, 2021, Fontes was one of several politicians, experts and election officials who spoke about voter suppression, subversion, and election worker intimidation and who testified before the United States Congress Committee on House Administration. Fontes testified: "I strongly support legislative efforts to protect election officials in Arizona and across the country from harassment, intimidation, threats and political interference, so that they can safely perform their duties to serve voters and protect election integrity."


Arizona Secretary of State (2023–present)

On July 6, 2021, Fontes announced his candidacy for the 2022 Arizona Secretary of State election. On August 4, 2022, Fontes was declared the winner of the Democratic primary. Fontes received 52.5% of the vote, while his opponent Reginald Bolding received 47.5%. Fontes faced Republican party nominee, Arizona Representative
Mark Finchem Mark William Finchem (born April 24, 1957) is an American far-right politician who serves as a member of the Arizona Senate. He was previously a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing District 11 from 2015 to 2023. He is th ...
in the general election. Finchem had contended without evidence that Maricopa County’s 2020 election was tainted by fraud, backed the state Senate’s discredited review of the election done by the state Senate and was part of a lawsuit which attempted to block the use of vote counting machines in state elections. Fontes defeated Finchem in the November 8 general election.


Electoral history


Maricopa County Recorder


2016


2020


Arizona Secretary of State


2022


See also

* Hispanics in the United States Marine Corps


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fontes, Adrian 1970 births 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century Arizona politicians 20th-century American military personnel American lawyers of Mexican descent American politicians of Mexican descent Arizona Democrats Arizona lawyers Arizona State University alumni County officials in Arizona Hispanic and Latino American military personnel Hispanic and Latino American people in Arizona politics Living people People from Nogales, Arizona Secretaries of state of Arizona Sturm College of Law alumni United States Marines