Republican Arizona county chair endorses Democrat to replace him
The Republican chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in Arizona has endorsed a Democrat to replace him.
"I am endorsing Joel [Navarro] because he is a man of integrity, because he is a dedicated public servant who fights for what's right, and because he has a record of serving the interest of all people regardless of the party," board Chair Jack Sellers said Wednesday in a statement emailed to The Hill.
Sellers endorsed Democrat Joel Navarro, who ran unopposed in a primary, according to election results from Maricopa County, rather than another Republican who came out ahead of him in July, Mark Stewart.
“I appreciate the strategic nature of this situation, and while I find Jack's decision unfortunate, I respect it,” Stewart said Wednesday in a post on the social platform X. “Politics can be an interesting game, but my focus remains 100% on serving the people of this district and our community. Despite his choice to support my competitor, I still hope to rely on Jack's experience and expertise if we win. Jack has served our community with distinction, and I would be grateful for the opportunity to learn from him.”
Navarro embraced Sellers's endorsement, saying Wednesday in a post on X that he is "humbled by his support."
“To Jack’s supporters & anyone else troubled by the attacks on our democracy, there is a place for you in my campaign #CountryOverParty,” Navarro continued.
Back in 2021, the Republican-led Board of Supervisors in Maricopa County condemned a state Senate Republican-led audit of the county’s 2020 election results via a letter. The letter to GOP senators announced that the board would end all cooperation with the Republican state senators’ efforts and alleged that state senators were allowing the Grand Canyon State to become a “laughingstock” when they were following false claims of election fraud spread by former President Trump.
“You are photographing ballots contrary to the laws that the Senate helped enact, and you are sending those images to unidentified places and people. You have repeatedly lost control of your Twitter account, which has tweeted things that appear to be the rantings of a petulant child — not the serious statements of a serious audit,” wrote the board.