Maricopa County is a county in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census the population was 4,420,568,or about 62% of the state's total,making it the fourth-most populous county in the United States and the most populous county in Arizona,and making Arizona one of the nation's most centralized states. The county seat is Phoenix,the state capital and fifth-most populous city in the United States.
Joseph Michael Arpaio is an American former law enforcement officer and politician. He was the Sheriff of Maricopa County,Arizona for 24 years,from 1993 to 2017,losing reelection to Democrat Paul Penzone in 2016.
Lorna Elizabeth Lockwood was an American lawyer and judge who served as justice of the Arizona Supreme Court.
Andrew Peyton Thomas is an American politician,author and former attorney. He was the county attorney for Maricopa County in Arizona from 2004 until April 6,2010. During his term in office,he was known for his anti-illegal immigrant policies. On April 10,2012,Thomas was disbarred by a disciplinary panel of the Arizona State Supreme Court for his actions as county attorney.
Kari Lake Halperin is an American former television news anchor. A member of the Republican Party,she is the Republican nominee in the 2024 United States Senate election in Arizona. She was also the Republican nominee in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election.
David Sheridan Schweikert is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative from Arizona's 1st congressional district since 2023. He previously served as the U.S. representative for Arizona's 6th congressional district from 2013 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party,he first entered Congress in 2011,representing Arizona's 5th congressional district until redistricting. His district includes most of northern Phoenix as well as Scottsdale,Paradise Valley,and Cave Creek.
Adam Dorsey Driggs is an American attorney,politician,and as of 2017,a judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona. Driggs previously served in both chambers of the Arizona State Legislature.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Arizona since October 17,2014. The U.S. state had denied marriage rights to same-sex couples by statute since 1996 and by an amendment to its State Constitution approved by voters in 2008. On October 17,Judge John W. Sedwick ruled in two lawsuits that Arizona's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional,and enjoined the state from enforcing its ban,effective immediately. Attorney General Tom Horne said the state would not appeal that ruling,and instructed county clerks to comply and issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) is a law enforcement agency in Maricopa County,Arizona that was involved in a number of controversies. It is the largest sheriff's office in the state of Arizona and provides general and specialized law enforcement to unincorporated areas of Maricopa County,serving as the primary law enforcement for unincorporated areas of the county as well as incorporated cities within the county which have contracted with the agency for law-enforcement services. It also operates the county jail system. Elected in 2016,Paul Penzone is the current sheriff of Maricopa County. Penzone replaced Joe Arpaio after his 24-year tenure as sheriff.
Karen Fann is a former Republican member of the Arizona Senate,representing Arizona Legislative District 1. Fann became President of the Arizona Senate in 2019,and served until 2023.
Albert Cornelius Baker was an American jurist and politician who was the only person to serve on both the Arizona Territorial Supreme Court and the Arizona Supreme Court. As a judge he served four years as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Arizona Territory and two-and-a-half years as a justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. Politically he was a member of the Arizona Territorial Legislature and a delegate to Arizona's constitutional convention.
Frederick Christian Struckmeyer Jr. was a justice of the Supreme Court of Arizona from January 3,1955,to January 19,1982. He served as chief justice of the court on four occasions.
Prosper Powell Parker was a Canadian-born American engineer and politician. During the American Civil War he served as a junior officer under General William T. Sherman,rising to the rank of captain. Following the war he served on the committee that organized Towner County,North Dakota,before moving to Arizona Territory. In Arizona he was twice elected to the territorial legislature and became Speaker of the House during the 21st Arizona Territorial Legislature.
The 1936 Arizona gubernatorial election took place on November 3,1936. Incumbent Governor Benjamin Baker Moeur ran for reelection,but he was defeated in the Democratic primary by former judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court Rawghlie Clement Stanford.
The 2018–19 Phoenix mayoral special election was held on November 6,2018,to elect the new Mayor of Phoenix,Arizona. The election was officially nonpartisan;candidates ran on the same ballot. In the initial round of the election,since no candidate reached 50 percent plus one vote,a runoff election was held on March 12,2019,between the top two finishers.
The 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election occurred on November 8,2022,to elect the next governor of Arizona,concurrently with other federal and state elections. Incumbent Republican governor Doug Ducey was term-limited and ineligible to run for a third consecutive term. Democratic Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs narrowly defeated Republican former television journalist Kari Lake.
In direct response to election changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic,2020 United States presidential election in Arizona,and "Sharpiegate";the Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign launched numerous lawsuits contesting the election processes of Arizona. All of these were either dismissed or dropped.
The 2022 Arizona elections were held in the state of Arizona on November 8,2022,coinciding with the nationwide general election. All six executive offices were up for election,as well as a U.S. Senate seat,all of the state's U.S. House of Representatives seats,and the state legislature.
Allister Adel was an American attorney who served as the County Attorney for Maricopa County,Arizona,from 2019 to 2022. She was the first woman to hold the position. Originally appointed to the position,Adel subsequently won election to a full term in November 2020. However,she resigned in March 2022 amid controversies over her tenure and fitness for office,and died a month later.
