MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates announced Thursday he won't be seeking another term on the board after a raucous past couple of years that involved the Republican official being subjected to threats and accusations of malfeasance.
Gates said he's chosen not to run for re-election in 2024 to instead "pursue other interests and opportunities."
"I kept government lean, taxes low, supported our most vulnerable residents, and told the truth about our elections in the face of false information," Gates said in a statement.
Gates and the other supervisors have repeatedly butted heads with members of their own party since Democrat Joe Biden narrowly won Arizona in the 2020 presidential race.
The supervisors rejected the Legislature's months-long review of Maricopa County's ballots, calling it nothing more than "political theatre" and a threat to the democratic process.
Gates was chairman of the county board during Arizona's competitive 2022 election when a printing issue on Election Day resulted in Republicans hurling allegations of misconduct.
Despite the ballot issues, Gates insisted that “every voter had the opportunity to vote and have their vote counted.”
According to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Gates and his family had to be relocated on Election Day due to threats made against county officials.
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