Maricopa County Attorney's Office

Allister Adel

Democrat Julie Gunnigle is conceding in the race for Maricopa County Attorney. Republican incumbent Allister Adel will remain in the role. 

Adel was appointed to the position of Maricopa County Attorney last year. She’ll now be the first woman elected to the role. In her campaign she highlighted her efforts to increase transparency in the office and to prioritize treatment over incarceration for some drug offenses.

A statement released by Adel's campaign said, "Allister has focused on creating a culture driven by ethical excellence and making the right decisions for the right reasons each day, but there is more work to be done. We must remain vigilant to ensure each person is treated fairly and equally in our criminal justice system, and that we are holding criminals accountable.” 

Gunnigle’s platform had promised more dramatic reform, such as an independent unit to oversee police misconduct cases.

"I am conceding on this race but we are not conceding on our values," Gunnigle said in a statement. "This office continues to perpetuate some of the worst racial disparities in policing and prosecution in the country. It fails to acknowledge that Black lives matter by refusing to adopt a transparent and community involved process to handle officer use of force cases."

Early results from Maricopa County had showed Gunnigle with a slight lead, but the race tightened as more ballots were counted. As of Sunday, Adel had 51% of the vote. 

Adel underwent emergency surgery on election night for bleeding in the brain following a fall. She is reported to be recovering and in stable condition. 

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