Adrian Fontes (born 1969/1970) is an American politician,
election official
An election official, election officer, election judge, election clerk, or poll worker is an official responsible for the proper and orderly voting at polling stations. Depending on the country or jurisdiction, election officials may be identified ...
,
veteran
A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military.
A military veteran that has ...
, and
attorney. A member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, he has served as the
Secretary of State of Arizona
The secretary of state of Arizona is an elected position in the U.S. state of Arizona. Since Arizona does not have a lieutenant governor, the secretary stands first in the line of succession to the governorship. The secretary also serves as acti ...
since 2023, after defeating
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Nominee
Mark Finchem
Mark William Finchem (born April 24, 1957) is an American far-right politician who served as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives representing District 11 from 2015 to 2023. He is the Arizona coordinator for the Coalition of Western ...
in
2022. Fontes previously served as the
Maricopa County
Maricopa County is in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,420,568, making it the state's most populous county, and the fourth-most populous in the United States. It contains about 6 ...
Recorder from 2017 to 2021.
Early life and career
Fontes was raised in
Nogales, Arizona
Nogales (English: or , ; ) is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The population was 20,837 at the 2010 census and estimated 20,103 in 2019. Nogales forms part of the larger Tucson–Nogales combined statistical area, with a total population ...
.
His family has lived in southern Arizona for more than 300 years, even before Arizona became a state.
Fontes served in the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
from 1992 to 1996, where he taught a marksmanship course.
He earned his bachelor's degree in Communications from
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
in 1998. When he returned, he pursued a
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
degree.
Fontes has served as a prosecutor with the
Denver District Attorney's Office The Denver District Attorney's Office is responsible for the prosecution of state criminal violations in the Second Judicial District. Colorado has 64 counties within the 22 judicial districts in the State. The office is composed of approximately 7 ...
, Maricopa County Attorney's Office and the
Arizona Attorney General
The Arizona Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Arizona, in the United States. This state officer is the head of the Arizona Department of Law, more commonly known as the Arizona Attorney General's Office. The state attorn ...
's Office, and as an attorney in private practice.
Maricopa County Recorder (2017–2021)
Elections
2016
Fontes ran for Maricopa County Recorder against 28-year incumbent
Helen Purcell.
Fontes announced his candidacy the day after Maricopa County's 2016 presidential preference election, which was perceived by some as having been mismanaged by Purcell due to the reduction in the number of polling places in the county, causing long lines that stretched for blocks and left some voters waiting for hours. Latino community leaders raised concerns about voter suppression when areas with predominantly Latino populations had one or no polling places open during Arizona's presidential preference election.
On October 27, 2016, the Arizona Republic newspaper endorsed Fontes. On November 14, 2016, Purcell conceded the race.
Fontes was the first Democrat to be elected Maricopa County Recorder in over 50 years.
2020
Fontes ran for re-election in 2020, losing by less than 5,000 votes to Republican candidate Stephen Richer.
Tenure
As Maricopa County Recorder, Fontes piloted the use of vote centers, where any voter in the county could cast a ballot regardless of precinct.
In the November 2018 election, Maricopa County operated 40 vote centers. Fontes also expanded early voting options in Maricopa County.
As the County Recorder, Fontes oversaw the counting of ballots in Maricopa County's elections in 2020.
While the ballots were being counted in the Maricopa County Recorder's Office,
protesters gathered outside over the course of several days, including conspiracy theorist
Alex Jones
Alexander Emerick Jones (born February 11, 1974) is an American far-right and alt-right radio show host and prominent conspiracy theorist. He hosts ''The Alex Jones Show'' from Austin, Texas, which the Genesis Communications Network broadcas ...
.
Fontes worried that there would be an invasion into the building, and met with sheriff's department and other law-enforcement agencies about establishing a secure perimeter around the building where Fontes' staff was counting ballots but was determined there was no real threat.
Due to the unrest Maricopa County Recorder's Office, Fontes and his family packed "go-bags" in case they needed to leave their home on short notice, found back-up housing, and his children evacuated for several days.
Fontes has claimed that
Jake Angeli
Jake Angeli (born Jacob Anthony Angeli Chansley; 1988), also known as the QAnon Shaman, Q Shaman, and Yellowstone Wolf, is an American conspiracy theorist and activist who participated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol, for which he was c ...
, the "QAnon Shaman," was one of the protestors at the Recorders Office.
After the 2020 election, Fontes joined
Pima County
Pima County ( ) is a county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,043,433, making it Arizona's second-most populous county. The county seat is Tucson, where most of the population ...
Recorder-elect Gabriella Cázares-Kelly's transition team as an interim chief deputy recorder after losing his re-election.
Criticism of 2021 Maricopa County election audit
Fontes was a vocal critic of the
Maricopa County election audit. On July 28, 2021, Fontes was one of several politicians, experts and election officials spoke about voter suppression, subversion, and election worker intimidation who testified before the United States Congress Committee on House Administration.
Fontes testified: "I strongly support legislative efforts to protect election officials in Arizona and across the country from harassment, intimidation, threats and political interference, so that they can safely perform their duties to serve voters and protect election integrity."
Arizona Secretary of State (2023–present)
On July 6, 2021, Fontes announced his candidacy for the
2022 Arizona Secretary of State election
The 2022 Arizona Secretary of State election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the next secretary of state of Arizona. Incumbent Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs declined to run for a second term to instead run for governor. ...
.
On August 4, 2022, Fontes was declared the winner of the Democratic primary.
Fontes received 52.5% of the vote, while his opponent
Reginald Bolding received 47.5%. Fontes faced Republican party nominee, Arizona Representative
Mark Finchem
Mark William Finchem (born April 24, 1957) is an American far-right politician who served as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives representing District 11 from 2015 to 2023. He is the Arizona coordinator for the Coalition of Western ...
in the general election.
Finchem had contended without evidence that Maricopa County’s 2020 election was tainted by fraud, backed the state Senate’s discredited review of the election done by the state Senate and was part of a lawsuit which attempted to block the use of vote counting machines in state elections.
Fontes defeated Finchem in the November 8 general election.
Electoral history
Maricopa County Recorder
2016
2020
Arizona Secretary of State
2022
See also
*
Hispanics in the United States Marine Corps
Hispanics in the United States Marine Corps, such as Private France Silva who during the Boxer Rebellion became the first Marine of the thirteen Marines of Latin American descent to be awarded the Medal of Honor, and Private First Class Guy Gabal ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fontes, Adrian
21st-century American lawyers
21st-century American politicians
20th-century American military personnel
American lawyers of Mexican descent
American politicians of Mexican descent
Arizona Democrats
Arizona lawyers
Arizona State University alumni
County officials in Arizona
Hispanic and Latino American military personnel
Hispanic and Latino American people in Arizona politics
Living people
People from Nogales, Arizona
Secretaries of State of Arizona
Sturm College of Law alumni
United States Marines
Year of birth missing (living people)