Kolodin Calls Out Fontes for Likening Self to ‘Pontius Pilate’

The race for Arizona Secretary of State is already underway, with Democrat incumbent Adrian Fontes and Republican lawmaker Alex Kolodin emerging as clear frontrunners. While other candidates have entered the race, the contest between these two is quickly becoming one of the most closely watched in the state, defined by profound philosophical differences over how Arizona’s elections should be managed and protected.

Fontes appeared recently on Sunday Square Off, where host Brahm Resnik opened the show with a clip of Steve Bannon declaring that “Trump is going to have a third term.” Resnik described Bannon as Trump’s advisor—though he is, in fact, a former advisor and no longer affiliated with the administration. Before introducing Fontes, Resnik added that “Trump is staffing up with election deniers,” a politically loaded phrase that left-leaning journalists often use to describe Republicans who questioned aspects of the 2020 election.

During the interview, Fontes also addressed the recent rebranding of the No Labels Party to the Arizona Independent Party, acknowledging that the name change has already caused confusion among voters. He said his office is working to educate the public on the difference between Party Not Designated (PND) voters and members of the newly renamed Arizona Independent Party, emphasizing that the two are distinct classifications.

A peculiar moment came when Resnik pressed Fontes about the ongoing dispute between the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and County Recorder Justin Heap. Fontes responded, “I’ll be doing my best Pontius Pilate impersonation—staying out of that local politics.”

That biblical reference did not go unnoticed by Kolodin. When the Arizona Globe asked him about the comment, Kolodin said, “It’s astonishing that Adrian Fontes gleefully compares himself to the man who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He’s undoubtedly out of touch with everyday Arizonans, the overwhelming majority of which are people of faith. We need a Secretary of State who respects the religious beliefs of all voters — Fontes doesn’t.”

As Arizona again takes center stage in the national conversation about elections, the contest between Fontes and Kolodin is shaping up to be more than a battle over ballots — “Impersonation of Pontus Pilate” is a strange aspiration for the Secretary of State.