The Pima County Sheriff’s race has garnered significant attention due to its tight margins and the controversies surrounding the candidates. The race remains too close to call, with incumbent Democrat Chris Nanos leading Republican challenger Lt. Heather Lappin by approximately 199 votes. The contest will likely trigger an automatic recount since Nanos’ lead is less than 1%. As for now, Pima County is still counting votes.

Nanos’ actions in the weeks leading up to Election Day further complicated the contest. Nanos placed Lappin on administrative leave, slapping her with a gag order to prevent her from speaking about the matter. The move was highly criticized, with some viewing it as political election interference. This isn’t the first instance where Nanos placed a political opponent on administrative leave. In the 2016 election, Nanos took similar actions against challenger Sgt. Terry Staten. In addition, Nanos faces multiple legal challenges, raising concerns about his leadership and decision-making within the department.

Federal Lawsuit Alleging First Amendment Violations

In October 2024, Sergeant Aaron Cross filed a federal lawsuit against Sheriff Nanos, alleging a First Amendment rights violation. Cross, who currently serves as the president of the Pima County Deputies Organization, claims Nanos placed him on administrative leave after he (Cross) participated in off-duty political activities opposing Nanos’ re-election. The lawsuit contends that this action was retaliatory and infringed Cross’s constitutional rights.

Administrative Leave of Political Opponent

Sheriff Nanos’ placement of Lieutenant Lappin on administrative leave sparked the Pima County Board of Supervisors to unanimously call for state and federal investigations into Nanos’ conduct. Democrat Matt Heinz said, “the sheriff appeared to violate law for personal and political gain when he removed Lappin’s ability to execute her campaign during election season.” Board Chair Adelita Grijalva said she opposed taking any action until the investigation was complete.

Previous Legal Actions and Investigations

In September 2023, the Pima County Board of Supervisors requested an investigation by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office into Nanos’ handling of a 2022 sexual assault case involving a female deputy. While the investigation found no criminal wrongdoing, it identified potential violations of departmental policies. Nanos failed to appear before the Board of Supervisors as requested in October.

Pima County Numerous Election 2024 Issues

On October 19, the Pima County Recorder’s Office unexpectedly shut down its online portal for early ballot requests, six days before the official October 25 deadline. The recorder’s office shut down the link because “they were overwhelmed with requests.”

On November 8, Pima County began reporting fluctuating numbers of ballots left to tabulate. Kari Lake’s attorney and Election Integrity expert, Jennifer Wright, sent a letter to county officials. Wright demanded an accounting of discrepancies, where the reported number of uncounted ballots increased by 14,666. A spokesperson for Pima County said it was a clerical error with an easy explanation.

Critics question why the county mailed out 1,010,067 ballots when Pima County only has 635,000 registered voters.

Arizona Rep. Rachel Jones recently spoke out about her election concerns:

As the vote count continues, the outcome of the sheriff’s race remains uncertain, with potential legal and administrative repercussions on the horizon. While all eyes have been on Maricopa County, Pima County may be going to an automatic recount to decide the sheriff’s race.