As Arizona’s Senate race between Republican Kari Lake and Democrat Ruben Gallego remains too close to call, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer made an unexpected move that raised eyebrows: he deleted his X (formerly Twitter) account. With hundreds of thousands of ballots still uncounted, this decision has fueled concerns among voters and political observers alike.
Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s population, is under intense scrutiny for its slow reporting of election results. As of Friday morning, the county had counted only 77% of the votes, leaving an estimated 472,000 ballots still to be tallied, according to Garrett Archer, a data analyst for KNXV-TV. This has left Republican Kari Lake trailing Democrat Ruben Gallego by a slim margin of 1.5 percentage points.
The slow vote count has been a point of contention, especially for Lake’s supporters, who recall similar delays during the 2022 gubernatorial race. Lake lost that race to Democrat Katie Hobbs by less than one percentage point, amid widespread reports of voting machine malfunctions in Maricopa County.
Despite the current gap, there’s still hope among Lake’s backers that the remaining ballots could swing in her favor. Archer reported that a recent batch of 70,429 ballots from Maricopa broke 57% for Lake and 41% for Gallego, giving Lake a net gain of over 11,000 votes.
If this trend continues, Lake could close the gap or even take the lead. Political analysts have pointed out that Arizona’s polling averages often underestimate Republican support. For instance, pre-election polls predicted President-elect Donald Trump would win the state by 3%, yet he currently leads Democrat Kamala Harris by over 6% in the actual results.
Maricopa County’s ballot-counting process is slower than many other jurisdictions due to a few key factors:
- Two-Page Ballots: This year’s ballots were longer, requiring additional processing time.
- Vote-by-Mail Verification: About 90% of Arizonans vote by mail, meaning over 3 million ballots had to be verified before counting.
- Election Day Drop-offs: Arizona law allows voters to drop off mail-in ballots at vote centers on Election Day, adding another layer of verification and processing.
Against this backdrop of electoral tension, Stephen Richer decided to deactivate his X account, a move that has not gone unnoticed. In a statement to Phoenix New Times, Richer described it as a personal decision:
“For four years, I tried to answer as many questions as possible and be as accessible as possible,” Richer said. “I’ve paid my ticket. I stayed on to make sure I answered as many voter questions as possible through Election Day. I get to do what makes me happy now.”
Richer, who lost his re-election bid in the Republican primary to Justin Heap, faced heavy criticism during his tenure, particularly for the voting issues in 2022. His decision to step back from public discourse at such a critical time has drawn criticism from state Republicans.
Arizona State Senator Justine Wadsack reacted to Richer’s move on X, writing, “Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer has deleted his personal X account. The ballot drops are at a standstill. What is going on?”
For many conservatives, Richer’s move has added to the skepticism surrounding Maricopa County’s election process. With Richer’s past controversies and the ongoing delays, concerns about transparency and potential misconduct have resurfaced.
Republican voters have long viewed Maricopa County as a battleground for election integrity. Richer’s departure from X, coupled with the county’s slow count, has only heightened these tensions.
The stakes couldn’t be higher in Arizona’s Senate race. With Republicans expected to take control of the Senate in 2025, a Lake victory could bolster their majority. However, the delays in vote counting have left both sides anxious.
As the count drags on, Arizona voters and the nation await clarity. Whether the remaining ballots will shift the race remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: all eyes are on Maricopa County, and the pressure for transparency has never been greater.
In the coming days, Maricopa officials will likely face even more scrutiny as they work to finalize the vote. Until then, the air of uncertainty lingers, with Richer’s sudden online departure adding another layer of intrigue to an already tense election.
