Highlights
- Judge Scott Blaney on Wednesday rejected the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors' request to delay implementing his ruling in favor of Recorder Justin Heap.
- The board, which voted 4-1 last month to seek the stay, had pre-authorized an appeal; it will be filed once Blaney completes paperwork on the original case.
- Early voting for Arizona's July 21 primary begins June 25, leaving roughly six weeks to resolve which election duties belong to Heap's office.
- Republican Supervisor Mark Stewart was the lone dissenter on the stay vote and separately sought mediation, a request Blaney also denied.
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge refused Wednesday to pause his ruling in a lawsuit filed by Recorder Justin Heap, clearing the way for Heap's office to reclaim election responsibilities the board stripped under a deal with his predecessor, even as the board moves to appeal before early voting opens June 25.
Judge Scott Blaney admonished the board for arriving unprepared, writing that he found it "inexplicable that the Board of Supervisors — in the nine months since Recorder Heap filed the present lawsuit — would not have considered and planned for the possibility that the Court would rule in favor of Recorder Heap." The ruling was reported by KTAR News and corroborated by AP and KJZZ.
The dispute dates to June 2025, when Heap, a Republican, sued the GOP-controlled board over election responsibilities that state law divides between elected supervisors and recorders. In April, Blaney ordered the board to restore certain duties to Heap's office that had been removed as part of an arrangement with Heap's predecessor, Stephen Richer.
Board Chairwoman Kate Brophy McGee called Blaney's position unrealistic, arguing that overhauling operations, staffing, and infrastructure in the middle of an election cycle based on an uncertain court outcome was not responsible planning. She said the board looks forward to presenting its argument to the Arizona Court of Appeals.
Heap said his office is ready to move forward and comply with the court's orders to prepare for secure and orderly elections in Maricopa County.
When the board voted 4-1 last month to seek the stay, the motion also pre-authorized an appeal if the judge rejected the request. A board spokesperson told KTAR that the appeal will be filed as soon as Blaney completes paperwork on the original case.
Republican Supervisor Mark Stewart, who retained independent legal counsel for the Heap lawsuit in February, was the lone dissenter on the stay vote. He separately filed a motion asking Blaney to order mediation before ruling on the board's filing. Blaney denied that request as well, writing that he had little confidence the parties would use a stay for good-faith negotiations rather than to extend delay and effectively moot his ruling.
The appeal goes to the Arizona Court of Appeals. Early voting for the July 21 primary begins June 25.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- ktar.com retrieved 15/05/2026 20:04
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 15/05/2026 20:04. Every claim traces to a source.
