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Maricopa County Attorney's Race 2022

 

A COUNTY ATTORNEY is an elected official who serves as your county’s top prosecutor. County attorneys are the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system.

They decide who goes to prison and for how long. For years, county attorneys in Maricopa County have fueled growth in the prison population and supported policies that have devastated families and communities.

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A REFORM-MINDED COUNTY ATTORNEY can turn the tide by making a commitment to work in the interest of people, not prisons.

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The ACLU of Arizona does not endorse or oppose candidates running for office.

2022 MCAO Candidates

CANDIDATE POSITIONS ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

 

The ACLU of Arizona campaign for Smart Justice asked each candidate to complete a questionnaire explaining their position on criminal justice reform issues. Below are excerpts from each candidate’s response, unless otherwise noted.

Question

Will you exercise your prosecutorial discretion to not prosecute providers in abortion-related cases?

YES

"I am committed to upholding each and every Arizonans’ reproductive rights. I will use prosecutorial discretion to ensure individuals procuring an abortion or doctors administering an abortion are not prosecuted."

JULIE GUNNIGLE

REFUSED TO ANSWER

Rachel Mitchell did not respond to the Smart Justice Candidate questionnaire, but has publicly stated that she could prosecute abortion providers.

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“If it's decided that there is a total ban against providers providing abortion, we still have to look at each individual case. We still are going to look at [if there is] a reasonable likelihood of conviction.”

Source: ​

  1. “Rachel Mitchell weighs in on the past and future of abortion in Arizona,” 12 News, Phoenix, June 26, 2022

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RACHEL MITCHELL

Question

Will you proactively seek the expungement of criminal records for marijuana offenses legalized by Prop 207?

YES

JULIE GUNNIGLE

REFUSED TO ANSWER

Rachel Mitchell did not respond to the Smart Justice Arizona candidate questionnaire. 

RACHEL MITCHELL

Question

Will you commit to maintaining or expanding transparency by making MCAO’s data and policies available to the public?

YES

JULIE GUNNIGLE

REFUSED TO ANSWER

Rachel Mitchell did not respond to the Smart Justice Arizona candidate questionnaire. 

RACHEL MITCHELL

"I plan on utilizing data from our sentencing to create a transparent data dashboard and allow the data to be disaggregated for use by academics and others studying criminal legal reform."

Question

Do you pledge to address the racial disparities in Maricopa County’s criminal justice system?

YES

"It’s time to end the two tiered system of justice where Arizonans of color routinely face longer and harsher sentencing than their white counterparts. The MCAO needs to ensure that every person is treated equally in our criminal legal system."

JULIE GUNNIGLE

REFUSED TO ANSWER

Rachel Mitchell did not respond to the Smart Justice Arizona candidate questionnaire. 

RACHEL MITCHELL

Question

Will you commit to adopting policies that safely reduce Arizona’s imprisonment rate?

YES

"I will work to increase diversion, treat kids like kids, treat mental illness and addiction as a public health crisis, and stop the overcharging that has become commonplace in the MCAO. My goal is to bring our incarceration rate down to the national average, in line with states like Utah to save taxpayers money."

JULIE GUNNIGLE

REFUSED TO ANSWER

Rachel Mitchell did not respond to the Smart Justice Arizona candidate questionnaire. 

RACHEL MITCHELL

DOWNLOAD EACH CANDIDATE'S FULL QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSE

Rachel Mitchell did not respond to the Smart Justice Arizona candidate questionnaire.
 

UPCOMING EVENTS
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ELECTION DATES AND DEADLINES

Last day to register to vote - October 11, 2022

Ballots mailed, voting locations and drop boxes available - October 12, 2022

Last day to request a ballot in the mail - October 28, 2022

Last day to mail back your ballot - November 1, 2022

General Election - November 8, 2022

2022 Election Information

REGISTER TO VOTE

Register to vote for the first time or update your address, political party preference, permanent early voting status or any information on your voter registration record.

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CHECK YOUR
VOTER STATUS

Check the status of your voter registration.

FIND YOUR
POLLING LOCATION

Find your assigned polling location to cast your vote, request a provisional ballot or drop off your mail-in ballot. 

PAID FOR BY ACLU OF ARIZONA, INC.
NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE.

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