PHOENIX — Republican Rachel Mitchell is confident she has enough votes to defeat Democrat Julie Gunnigle to continue serving as Maricopa County's top prosecutor.
Though the Associated Press has not officially made a call in the county attorney's race, Mitchell announced Monday morning she was declaring victory after gaining a 4-point lead over her opponent.
"As a lifelong Arizonan who has dedicated my career to the safety of our neighborhoods and families, I am deeply honored this community has overwhelmingly shown its support and trust in my leadership of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office," Mitchell wrote in a statement.
Mitchell was ahead of Gunnigle by nearly 68,000 votes as of Monday morning. Maricopa County officials say they've tabulated about 94% of its ballots.
Gunnigle essentially conceded Monday, releasing a statement saying that Maricopa County residents "deserve better."
"This isn’t the result we were hoping for because what it means is a continuation of the legacy of corruption within the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office," Gunnigle said.
Maricopa County has one of the biggest prosecutorial offices in the country. But the agency has come under scrutiny in recent years after it accused a number of Black Lives Matter protestors of being "gang members."
Mitchell was appointed to serve as county attorney after Allister Adel resigned earlier this year following a series of public controversies. Adel later passed away.
Under Mitchell's leadership, MCAO fired the prosecutor who was at the center of the controversy involving BLM protestors.
Gunnigle tried to highlight the agency's troubles under Adel's administration during the recent election by running a campaign that promised greater transparency. Meanwhile, Mitchell's messaging had tended to focus on public safety and reducing backlogs.
Arizona law required a special election to be held this year to determine who would finish out Adel's four-year term, which ends in 2024.
RELATED: Top official says Maricopa County vote count will end this week. What that means for the candidates
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