Fontes says Trump election claims are top concern for Arizona voting

Biggs tries to reshape image in governor’s race

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said President Donald Trump’s election fraud allegations pose a greater concern for the state’s voting than local administrative disputes, describing the president’s statements as false. “The biggest threat is the president, who is lying,” Fontes told The Guardian.

Fontes, who held the Maricopa County recorder’s seat a decade ago, has repeatedly pushed back against Trump’s election claims. After Trump’s July 16 primetime address from the White House, in which the president alleged that China carried out “the largest election data compromise in U.S. history,” Fontes told KTAR that the claims had “no basis in facts” and called them “fantasyland.” The AZFamily news outlet also reported Fontes’ rebuttal.

The exchange is the latest in a series of clashes between Arizona election officials and Trump over the integrity of the state’s voting systems. Arizona became a national flashpoint after Trump lost the state to Joe Biden in 2020 by fewer than 11,000 votes, triggering waves of unsubstantiated fraud claims that led to threats of violence against elections officials, as MSI previously reported.

Arizona voters head to the polls July 21 for a primary that will set the field for the November general election, which includes competitive races for governor, attorney general, secretary of state and several congressional seats.

Among the Republican primary candidates is U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, a five-term congressman who was one of the most outspoken members of Congress challenging the 2020 election results. Biggs is seeking the GOP nomination for governor with Trump’s endorsement and support from Turning Point USA, according to prior MSI reporting.

In a USA Today interview published July 19, Biggs attempted to move past his efforts to challenge Biden’s Arizona win. Asked three times whether the 2020 election was stolen, Biggs declined to answer directly, telling the outlet he would not be “pitted against” Trump. USA Today reported that Trump “remains wedded to the unsubstantiated allegations.”

Biggs faces U.S. Rep. David Schweikert in the July 21 primary. Prior MSI reporting described the race as testing whether a Trump-aligned, hard-right approach can win statewide races in Arizona as Democrats gain ground, or whether the party needs a more broadly palatable nominee for the general election.

The New York Times reported July 12 that election officials in Maricopa County fear Trump’s legal campaign could create a pretext for far-right candidates to call into question the results of closely watched races this fall.