Sheriff Chris Nanos cruises to victory, says he's ready for GOP challenge

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos easily won a Democratic primary challenge to keep his seat. But the Republican Nanos will face in November was being decided in a much tighter race.

Republican candidates Heather Lappin and Bill Phillips held almost 45% and 40% of the vote in a three-way primary race, unofficial election results Wednesday showed. Republican candidate Terry Frederick collected about 15% of the vote in the GOP primary.

Neither Lappin nor Phillips would call the race.

“This is just step one of the whole process,” Nanos told the Star Wednesday afternoon after his defeat of primary challenger Sanford “Sandy” Rosenthal. “I’m very humbled. It’s not often someone gets an opportunity to take care of the citizenry they live with (and) make decisions that matter to an entire community. That’s humbling and an honor, so I’m grateful for those who have voted for me.”

Responding to the rest of the candidates’ statements on the negative scrutiny during his leadership and how there needs to be a change, Nanos said those were his opponents’ opinions and the public didn’t buy them. Instead, he said, voters focused on what he’s done.

“60% of the vote is good, but I think it also looks really good for a general election that 40% of the Democrats and Independents that poll Democrat ballots weren’t satisfied with him,” Lappin said Wednesday about Nanos’ margin.

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Lappin said the department has had “decades of the same good-old boy-style leadership” aside from four years with former sheriff Mark Napier. She said, “it’s 2024 and time for a new style of leadership.”

Phillips, who said he’s still in the race and hasn’t given up hope, agreed with Lappin and Rosenthal on the directional change needed in the sheriff’s department and said he believes he’s the best candidate to get that going.

“If I win the primary, we’re going to immediately move ahead and run a strong campaign like we did based on the issues, based on our platform and based on integrity,” said Phillips who came out of retirement due to the negative scrutiny on law enforcement. “We need to get the black cloud off the department, get the respect back for the department (and) the support back for the deputies.”“I think my work speaks for itself. I’d just challenge the others to show me what it is you’ve done that the community thinks would merit you,” said Nanos.

Nanos said neither Lappin nor Phillips have his level of law enforcement experience, saying that is an important differentiator. He listed how he’d delivered on his promises in the last four years — more transparency in criminal investigations through bodycams, establishing the Pima Regional Critical Incident Team, installing a special response team for traffic safety and working on staffing within the department.

In her final words, looking back on her experience of filing the paperwork to run for sheriff, Lappin said she’s “grown so much in understanding politics and understanding people” and how it’s been a “great (but) tough” journey. While she’s still waiting for the final numbers to see who wins the GOP primary, Lappin said it would be exciting to be a part of history if she wins and become the first female sheriff not just in Pima County, but in Arizona.