BISBEE, Ariz. (AP) 鈥 An election official in a southern Arizona county where some leaders embraced voting conspiracy theories plans to resign at the end of February.
Cochise County Record David Stevens鈥 plans to step down were revealed Friday, 10 days after he was sworn in for a third term in office.
A statement released by the county said Stevens had submitted a resignation letter, but the county didn't reveal his reason for leaving. The Associated Press left phone and email messages for Stevens on Friday. His exit was by the Sierra Vista Herald, quoting Stevens as saying he had recently decided to retire to 鈥減rioritize my family and health.鈥
Stevens, a Republican who previously served four two-year terms in the Arizona House, won a third term as county recorder in November, breezing past a Democratic challenger. He was sworn in at a Jan. 7 ceremony.
Some Cochise County officials had embraced unorthodox election procedures stemming from conspiracy theories spread by President Donald Trump after his 2020 loss.
During the November 2022 election, at the urging of Republican County Supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd, Stevens was prepared to count ballots by hand until a judge stopped it. Crosby and Judd then refused to certify the county's election results, protesting what they contended were irregularities in Maricopa County that they blamed for statewide wins by Democrats. A judge eventually forced them to sign off on the election.
Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes鈥 office brought criminal charges against Crosby and Judd for delaying the certification of their county鈥檚 2022 midterm election results.
In October, Judd to a misdemeanor charge of failing to perform her duty as an election officer, leading to a sentence of probation. Crosby, who has pleaded to the charges, is scheduled for trial later this month. No other officials were charged in the case.
