Arizona Court of Appeals pauses judge's ruling on election powers in Maricopa County
The Arizona Court of Appeals has temporarily blocked a ruling that was favorable to Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap in his long-running legal battle with the board of supervisors over control of the swing county’s elections.
Two of its three justices ruled to stay enforcement of a lower court’s order in the case to avoid disrupting the upcoming state primary. The other — Justice Brian Furuya, who was appointed to the bench in 2021 — dissented and said he would not have ordered the stay.
The ruling puts the fiery feud within county government on ice just days before voting begins in a high-stakes primary election.
The dispute has been ongoing since Heap took office and contended that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors usurped much of his power in a deal they struck with his predecessor. Heap, a Republican, sued over the matter last year.
https://www.votebeat.org/arizona/2026/06/18/appeals-court-maricopa-county-recorder-justin-heap-board-supervisors-stay-primary/