Election 2024: Justice system roles on the ballot in Maricopa County

Voters in Maricopa County are being asked to cast ballots in 2024 for several positions tied to the justice system.

Two of the most powerful justice-related jobs in the county — sheriff and county attorney — are up for grabs.

The sheriff oversees the operation of the county's jails and law enforcement patrols in parts of the county.

The county attorney prosecutes felonies and some misdemeanors and provides legal services to the county's board of supervisors and county departments.

Voters will also be asked to review the performance of judges at the county and state levels and elect constables and justices of the peace.

As the campaign season progresses, The Arizona Republic's justice team will gather its reporting on these elections and update this page. You will find information about the candidates and the relevance of these elected offices.

Send election-related news and accountability tips to The Republic's justice reporters, Jimmy Jenkins, Elena Santa Cruz and Miguel Torres, at jjenkins@arizonarepublic.com, elena.santacruz@gannett.com and miguel.torres@arizonarepublic.com.

Judicial retention

State Supreme Court justices, along with judges on the Court of Appeals and superior courts in Coconino, Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties, face voters after serving their first two years in office. Voters have the opportunity to select whether or not a justice or judge should remain on the bench. If retained, as the vast majority are, higher court judges (supreme and appeals court judges) will be back up on the ballot every six years and trial court judges (those on the superior courts) every four years.

Who's running: More than 70 judicial officers, including two state supreme court justices, are up for retention. Reports on the judicial performance of each judge standing for retention, including the findings from the Commission on Judicial Performance Review, will be published in the secretary of state's voter pamphlet and posted on the commission's website in July.

• How we vote on judges: What does it mean for an Arizona judge to be up for retention?
• Arizona Supreme Court justices on the ballot: 2 justices who upheld Arizona's 1864 abortion ban are up for retention. Who are they?
• Abortion ruling fallout: Campaign seeks to unseat 2 Arizona Supreme Court justices who upheld 1864 abortion ban.
• Retention recommended for most: Commission determines that one Maricopa County judge does not meet standards.

Justices of the peace

Justice courts in Arizona are created based on population, and there are 26 in Maricopa County. Each court has one justice of the peace and one constable. Justice courts handle misdemeanor crimes, protective orders, evictions, traffic infractions and smaller-dollar civil matters.

Justices of the peace serve four-year terms and receive an annual salary of about $100,000. Candidates do not need to be attorneys or have any specific education.

Who's running: All races except Maryvale, Moon Valley, North Mesa and San Tan are uncontested.

• Arcadia Biltmore justice of the peace: Leonore Driggs, Democrat
• Country Meadows justice of the peace: Anna Huberman, Democrat
• Desert Ridge justice of the peace: Cathy Riggs, Republican
• Dreamy Draw justice of the peace: Frank Conti, Republican
• Highland justice of the peace: Jordan Ray, Republican
• Maryvale justice of the peace: Andy Gastelum, Democrat; and Francisco Sobampo, Democrat
• Moon Valley justice of the peace: Mireya Arroyo, Democrat; Deborah Begay, Democrat; and Michael Irish, Republican
• North Mesa justice of the peace: Kyle Jones, Republican; and Kiana Sears, Democrat
• San Tan justice of the peace: Sherwood Johnston, Republican; Blake King, Republican; and Nannette Hummel, Republican

Constables

Constables act as representatives of justice courts. They are considered peace officers when performing their duties and are tasked with serving paperwork, such as warrants, writs and notices, including evictions, on behalf of their courts. Under Arizona law, elected constables can appoint deputies and other staff members with the consent of the county board of supervisors.

Who's running: All races except Moon Valley are uncontested.

• Agua Fria constable: Michael Flores, Democrat
• Arcadia Biltmore constable: Christopher Wible, Democrat
• Country Meadows constable: Pedro Lopez, Democrat
• Desert Ridge constable: James Rich, Republican
• Dreamy Draw constable: Rhys Torres, Republican
• Highland constable: Thomas Ray, Republican
• Maryvale constable: Denice Garcia, Democrat
• Moon Valley constable: Mack Hawthorne, Republican; and Matthew McRae, Republican
• North Mesa constable: Jon Curtis, Republican
• San Tan constable: Carlos Gastelum, Republican

Recent coverage of constables from The Arizona Republic:

• What do constables do? As evictions increase, questions about constables keep rising. Here are some answers.
• Constable-involved shooting: A constable said a Phoenix man killed after an eviction had shot first. A new report shows that wasn't the case.
• Evictions and constables: Metro Phoenix eviction filings hit a 13-year high in August. The increase corresponds with deadly Arizona eviction incidents this summer.
• About the constable system: Deadly Arizona shooting involving constable shows system's flaws, Republic investigation shows.

Maricopa County sheriff

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is one of the largest sheriff's offices in the nation, with upward of 3,000 employees, including deputies, jail guards and civilians.

The office patrols unincorporated areas of the county and municipalities without a designated police force. It also serves Superior Court orders and warrants, collects delinquent taxes, coordinates search and rescue missions and oversees the county's five jails.

Who's running: Current Sheriff Russ Skinner, who was appointed after former Sheriff Paul Penzone stepped down, is running for a full term as a Democrat. In the primary, he faces former Phoenix Police officer Tyler Kamp. Retired Sheriff's Office Deputy Chief Jerry Sheridan is running against former Glendale police officer Mike Crawford and former Director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety Frank Milstead for the Republican nomination.

• Penzone steps down:Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone will not seek reelection, plans to step down early.
• Skinner appointed sheriff: Maricopa County chief deputy sheriff and longtime Republican appointed as new sheriff.
• Skinner's political history: Skinner, running as a Democrat, was a longtime Republican.
• Sheridan making second run: Paul Penzone declares victory in race for 2nd term as sheriff.

Maricopa County attorney

The county attorney heads the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, one of the nation's largest prosecutorial agencies.

The office reviews and determines charges for felonies in the county and misdemeanors in unincorporated areas. The office also provides legal services for the Board of Supervisors and county departments and agencies.

Who's running: Incumbent Rachel Mitchell is running against former Bureau Chief and trial attorney Gina Godbehere for the Republican nomination. Judge pro tem Tamika Wooten is running uncontested as a Democrat.

• Mitchell supports Trump: Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell says she will support Donald Trump for president.
• Mitchell's plea deal for prison chief: Legal experts questioned Rachel Mitchell’s reasoning behind a plea deal that allowed former Arizona prisons chief Charles Ryan to avoid lockup.
• Supreme Court appointment hearing: Rachel Mitchell, once a lead Arizona prosecutor, was tapped to lead the hearing of Brett Kavanaugh and a woman accusing him of sexually assaulting her decades ago.
• Godbehere's second attempt: Rachel Mitchell and Gine Godbehere faced off in the 2022 primary for Maricopa County attorney.