MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to hold a special election this year for a new county attorney following Allister Adel's sudden resignation.
Adel, who was elected for her first four-year term in 2020, announced Monday she was stepping down as the county's top prosecutor by March 25.
Arizona law obligates the counties to hold special elections if an elected official resigns during the first two years of their term and before the filing deadline for an upcoming election.
The last day for a candidate to submit nomination papers for the 2022 election is April 4, meaning Adel's resignation occurred right before the deadline to qualify for this year's election.
Candidates of any political party may now file for the office. Forms and signatures requirements can be found at CandidateList.Maricopa.Vote.
The BOS will have to appoint an interim county attorney to replace Adel until the election can be held. Arizona law requires the board to appoint someone who belongs to the same political party as Adel's.
The board said Monday it will soon establish a process for how it will appoint Adel's replacement.
Adel resigned amidst a growing backlash to her administration following the revelation that her office failed to file criminal charges for at least 180 cases before the statute of limitations expired.
Adel has additionally been struggling with mental health problems during her tenure and high-ranking officials within the Maricopa County Attorney's Office have been calling for her to resign.
The election to replace Adel could be a competitive one this year since Adel beat her Democratic opponent by less than 2% in 2020.
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