CHANDLER, Ariz. — Republican Jack Sellers has endorsed a Democrat to fill his seat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Sellers lost his GOP primary race to Chandler City Councilman Mark Stewart in July and has decided to throw his support for Democrat Joel Navarro in the upcoming general election for the District 1 seat.
"Moving forward, we need public officials who are willing to stand up against lies and misinformation in defense of Maricopa County voters," Sellers said in a statement. "Joel Navarro is one of those leaders."
Navarro, a former Tempe City Council member, announced Sellers' endorsement on Wednesday by calling the Republican supervisor a "friend and mentor."
The Republican members of the county board have been regularly subjected to criticism from members of their own political party following the contentious 2020 and 2022 elections. After multiple Democrats won competitive statewide races, the county's supervisors were skewered over how they oversaw the elections.
Stewart and Navarro are running in a district that has over 700,000 residents and encompasses Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Tempe and Mesa.
In a social media post, Stewart wrote that he respects Sellers' decision to endorse his opponent.
"Politics can be an interesting game, but my focus remains 100% on serving the people of this district and our community," Stewart wrote. "Despite his choice to support my competitor, I still hope to rely on Jack's experience and expertise if we win."
Since Bill Gates and Clint Hickman are not seeking re-election this year, the county board will have three new members after November's election.
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