The chair of Arizona’s Republican Party, Kelli Ward, has become the center of national attention in recent weeks, for better or worse.

A Southern Arizona Republican, Sergio Arellano, says it has been for the worse. He’s one of three candidates challenging Ward’s effort to continue as party chair when the GOP state committee meets on Jan. 23, in person in Phoenix and remotely.

The meeting comes as the party is riven by conflict over Ward’s efforts to pursue debunked claims of election fraud, even after losing numerous lawsuits on the issue.

Arellano is originally from Tucson and now lives part of the time in Sahuarita, part of the time in Phoenix. He has worked for the Republican National Committee in Arizona as well as the state party and been chair of Legislative District 2 Republicans. He also ran a losing campaign for the GOP nomination to run against U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva.

The other candidates are Bob Lettieri, who is the state party’s current treasurer, and Ann Niemann, a precinct committeeman from Legislative District 27.

Republicans from the House and Senate have objected to the counting of Arizona's electoral vote, forcing votes in both chambers on Joe Biden's victory in the state. The objection was made by Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar and was signed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Both are Republicans. The two chambers now have two hours to debate the challenge.

In an interview, Arellano said he’s been unimpressed with Ward’s harried effort to try to overturn the results after the election. The effort has included unsuccessful lawsuits, almost daily updates on social media, and an aggressive online campaign that even implied people should be willing to die for the Trump cause.

“It’s too little too late to try to come off as a leader,” Arellano said. “We’re in disarray.”

“Right now, after the fact, they’re trying to raise a ruckus and fight and come out swinging,” he said. “They weren’t there before. They weren’t giving us daily updates when we actually needed them.”

Under Ward’s leadership, the GOP has lost both U.S. Senate seats to Democrats, as well as the Arizona secretary of state’s office and other state offices.

Now the party is divided by what many members call a “civil war,” as Ward and allies fight Gov. Doug Ducey and others. The state meeting agenda includes a proposed censure for Ducey, the second-term Republican governor.

Arellano said the party is going the wrong direction, narrowing when it needs to broaden. The party, he said, should “elect someone like me that has a broad, encompassing and inclusive message.”

“The party always clamors for more Latinos,” he said. “This is the chance, man — a wounded warrior, combat veteran, Latino who speaks Spanish.”

New GOP, Democrat leaders in Pima

The local political parties are starting the year with new leadership.

Pima County Democrats elected Bonnie Heidler as chair. She replaces Alison Jones, who served a two-year term and did not run for reelection.

Along with Heidler, a retiree from Hewlett Packard who was chair of the Legislative District 10 Dems, party members chose these officers: first vice chair Nathan Davis; second vice chair Bharathan Kalyanraman; recording secretary Morgan Graham; corresponding secretary Priya Sundareshan; and treasurer Caroline Garcia.

Pima County Republicans have elected Shelley Kais as the party’s chair. Kais, of Green Valley, is a former state Senate candidate who is replacing David Eppihimer. He served two terms or four years.

Along with Kais, the other officers in the county GOP are: first vice chair Nolan Reidhead; second vice chair Anna Clark; third vice chair Cheryl Caswell; fourth vice chair Annie Szaley; secretary Carlos Ruiz and treasurer Judy Alkire.

Kais has had a tough start to her term. Twice now, vandals have smashed the glass door to the party office, and the second time the vandals smashed a large window as well. Tucson police are investigating.

Finchem faces recall, ethics complaint

Democrats in Legislative District 11 and the state Capitol are targeting Rep. Mark Finchem after his attendance at the Jan. 6 rally in Washington, D.C., that became an effort at insurrection.

State Rep. Cesar Chavez filed the ethics complaint against Finchem with ethics committee chair Rep. Becky Nutt on Wednesday.

It alleges that Finchem violated his oath of office by supporting an attempted coup. Finchem has denied doing anything illegal at the Capitol that day, saying he showed up to give a speech and left after the speaking engagement was canceled.

However, he posted photos from the Capitol and continued his campaign to describe Joe Biden’s election as fraudulent.

The recall effort, led by former legislative candidate Ralph Atchue, has not formally begun yet. But the group has set up a website, finchemrecall.com, and Atchue is trying to get the recall effort ready before triggering the 120-day deadline to collect the necessary signatures.

Roberts supports Bowers for speaker

State Rep. Bret Roberts decided in December he would not support Rusty Bowers for House speaker when the Legislature met for the first time in 2021.

Roberts and some other Republican legislators were unhappy that Bowers hadn’t set up a legislative hearing to examine GOP claims of electoral fraud in Arizona. Abstaining, as Roberts planned to do, could have left Bowers without enough votes, since Republicans have only a 31-29 edge in the chamber.

But Roberts changed his mind and voted for Bowers. So did Finchem, his seatmate, and Rep. David Cook of Globe, both of whom had been disgruntled about Bowers’ leadership.

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Contact: tsteller@tucson.com or 807-7789. On Twitter: @senyorreporter.