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.
βThis is just step one of the whole process,β Nanos told the Star Wednesday afternoon after his defeat of primary challenger Sanford βSandyβ Rosenthal. βIβm very humbled. Itβs not often someone gets an opportunity to take care of the citizenry they live with (and) make decisions that matter to an entire community. Thatβs humbling and an honor, so Iβm grateful for those who have voted for me.β
Responding to the rest of the candidatesβ statements on the negative scrutiny during his leadership and how there needs to be a change, Nanos said those were his opponentsβ opinions and the public didnβt buy them. Instead, he said, voters focused on what heβs done.
β60% 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 werenβt satisfied with him,β Lappin said Wednesday about Nanosβ margin.
Lappin said the department has had βdecades of the same good-old boy-style leadershipβ aside from four years with former sheriff Mark Napier. She said, βitβs 2024 and time for a new style of leadership.β
Phillips, who said heβs still in the race and hasnβt given up hope, agreed with Lappin and Rosenthal on the directional change needed in the sheriffβs department and said he believes heβs the best candidate to get that going.
βIf I win the primary, weβre 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,β said Phillips who came out of retirement due to the negative scrutiny on law enforcement. βWe need to get the black cloud off the department, get the respect back for the department (and) the support back for the deputies.ββI think my work speaks for itself. Iβd just challenge the others to show me what it is youβve done that the community thinks would merit you,β said Nanos.
Nanos said neither Lappin nor Phillips have his level of law enforcement experience, saying that is an important differentiator. He listed how heβd delivered on his promises in the last four years β 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 sheβs βgrown so much in understanding politics and understanding peopleβ and how itβs been a βgreat (but) toughβ journey. While sheβs 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.