A Maricopa County judge has ruled that Arizona's most populous election office must regain control over key voting operations it lost under a previous agreement, settling a high-stakes dispute that could reshape how elections run in one of America's most closely watched states.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney sided decisively with Justin Heap, the county's Republican recorder, in a lawsuit filed last summer. Heap had challenged what he called an unlawful power grab by the county board of supervisors, which had assumed control of ballot drop boxes, early voting site placement, IT staff, and election funding through an agreement with his predecessor.
The judge's decision, filed Thursday and posted to the public docket Friday, found that the board had overstepped its authority. Blaney ruled that Heap's office has statutory responsibility for in-person early voting operations and must recover the personnel and equipment the board had taken. The board retains authority over Election Day voting locations, poll worker hiring, and related logistics.
"The board's assertion of plenary authority over election administration through its general supervisory powers is inconsistent with Arizona law," Blaney wrote.
Board Chair Kate Brophy McGee, a Republican, said the supervisors would consider appealing the decision. In a statement, she defended the board's record of cooperation with Heap's office but indicated disagreement with portions of the ruling.
The fight carries particular weight in Arizona, a perennial battleground state facing multiple high-profile races this fall. Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, has been a focal point for election disputes since Donald Trump lost Arizona to Joe Biden in 2020, with conspiracy theories fueling sustained pressure on election workers.
Heap, a former Republican state legislator, won election as recorder in 2024 by ousting incumbent Stephen Richer in the GOP primary, then defeating his Democratic opponent. Upon taking office, Heap terminated the power-sharing agreement Richer had negotiated with the board and sued to recover full recorder authority.
Heap has steered clear of directly repeating claims that the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen, but has stated that voters lack confidence in Arizona's voting system and characterized it as poorly managed. His campaign aligned with figures skeptical of election integrity and those critical of the county elections office.
Richer, whose tenure saw threats of violence against him and other county election staff, has blamed Heap for stoking distrust. In a recent interview, Richer said Heap "catered to the really ugly stuff" that office workers endured and allied with those "in the eye of the storm in terms of creating it."
Heap pursued the lawsuit with backing from America First Legal, a conservative advocacy group founded by Stephen Miller, who now serves as deputy chief of staff in the White House.
Author James Rodriguez: "This ruling amplifies the recorder's hand over Arizona's largest county election machinery right as the political temperature rises, and Richer's warnings about where this leads deserve serious attention."
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