Adrian P. Fontes

Adrian P. Fontes is the current Secretary of State of Arizona, serving since 2023, and previously served as the Maricopa County Recorder from 2017 to 2021. Regarding controversies and allegations: In 2024, the Secretary of State’s office improperly released the home addresses and phone numbers of 373 voters enrolled in the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP), which protects victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The breach, which was not disclosed for nearly two years, resulted in the firing of several staff members. In early 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Fontes to compel the production of Arizona’s statewide voter registration list for an investigation into federal election law compliance. Fontes refused the request, citing state and federal privacy protections. On April 28, 2026, a federal district judge dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, ruling that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 did not authorize the federal government’s demand for the records. During his 2018 term as Maricopa County Recorder, Fontes faced criticism from the Arizona Republican Party regarding election administration, including the use of emergency voting centers and ballot handling procedures. Additionally, prior to his tenure as a public official, Fontes was a defense attorney who represented individuals involved in federal cases related to firearms and narco-terrorism. As of May 2026, Arizona Senate leadership referred Fontes to the Department of Justice regarding allegations of obstructing justice and witness tampering related to a federal investigation into election records.