Three Candidates Running for Maricopa County Attorney: A Closer Look

Maricopa County, the largest county in Arizona, is set to vote for its county attorney in the upcoming elections. Three candidates are running for the position, including Rachel Mitchell (Republican), Gina Godbehere (Republican), and Tamika Wooten (Democrat). In this article, we will delve into the background, views, and priorities of each candidate.

The Candidates

Rachel Mitchell: Mitchell is the incumbent Republican running for re-election. She has been working with the Maricopa County Attorney’s office for over 30 years and was appointed as interim county attorney in 2022. During her tenure, Mitchell claims to have improved the office’s reputation, addressed backlogs, and dealt with staff shortages.

Gina Godbehere: Godbehere is a former Maricopa County Attorney’s Office bureau chief and violent crimes prosecutor. She is currently working as a crime victims’ rights attorney and using her experience to run for the position of county attorney.

Tamika Wooten: Wooten is running uncontested as a Democrat, which means she will not face an opponent until the general election. Wooten’s experience as a judge pro tem makes her a strong candidate for the position of county attorney.

The Role of the County Attorney

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is responsible for providing legal services for the county’s departments, reviewing and determining charges for misdemeanors in unincorporated areas, and reviewing and determining charges for felonies in the county.

It is a prosecutorial agency and one of the largest in the country. The office’s main priority is to serve justice while ensuring that the rights of victims and defendants are upheld.

The Priorities of the Candidates

Here’s what each candidate had to say regarding their priorities:

Gina Godbehere

Godbehere’s campaign is mainly focused on the pressing issues that the county is facing, including rising crime rates, mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness. She believes that the criminal justice system is in crisis and attributes this to liberal policies. Her primary goal is to re-prioritize accountability and restore integrity to the office by ensuring consistent treatment of similar-situated defendants and giving voices to crime victims.

Rachel Mitchell

Mitchell’s campaign is primarily focused on addressing the current crime trends in the county, including fentanyl overdoses, teen violence, and organized retail crime. She believes that to overcome these pressing challenges, a comprehensive approach that involves educating the community, providing opportunities for those in the throes of addiction to recover, and disrupting the criminal syndicates that are behind the fentanyl epidemic is required.

Tamika Wooten

Wooten’s campaign is focused on restoring faith in the criminal justice system while ensuring fair and equitable justice. Her priorities include treating mental health and addiction as health issues, ensuring the safety of the community, and not prosecuting a woman or her healthcare provider for her reproductive healthcare decisions.

The Death Penalty

One of the most polarizing issues that the candidates have addressed is their stance on the death penalty. Here’s what each of them had to say:

Gina Godbehere

Godbehere supports the use of the death penalty in certain cases, particularly for the most heinous and egregious crimes. She believes that the death penalty serves as a deterrent and prevents individuals who commit heinous crimes from causing any further harm. However, she would be reluctant to pursue the death penalty due to time delays involved in these cases and emotional trauma it will cause for the next-of-kin.

Rachel Mitchell

Mitchell thinks that the death penalty is appropriate in some cases, but her primary responsibility is to enforce the law, not decide what the law should be. Thus, deciding whether the law calls for the imposition of the death penalty requires thoughtful consideration of all of the evidence and the strength of the evidence, and should be reserved only for the worst of the worst.

Tamika Wooten

Wooten is hesitant to impose the death penalty because poor people and people of color are disproportionately affected. According to her, the death penalty is extremely expensive, does not deter crime, and has resulted in several botched executions. She would try to divert fentanyl users to rehabilitative programs that address and mitigate addiction issues while prosecuting those who sell and manufacture fentanyl to the fullest extent of the law.

Conclusion

The Maricopa County Attorney’s office plays a vital role in the county’s legal system, and the outcome of the elections will determine its direction. Each candidate brings their own unique perspective, experiences, and ideas to the table. It’s up to the county’s voters to decide which candidate’s vision best serves the county’s interests.

Originally Post From https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2024/07/11/maricopa-county-attorney-2024-election-qa-with-candidates/74286164007/

Read more about this topic at
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, AZ | Official Website
Staff Directory • County Attorney