# Justin Heap Republican Recorder of Maricopa County, Arizona — the nation's second-largest voting jurisdiction — since January 2025. A [[Freedom Caucus]] state legislator aligned with election-skeptic politics, he defeated incumbent fellow Republican [[Stephen Richer]] in the 2024 primary, then immediately fought the county Board of Supervisors over election authority, sued to reclaim duties, and introduced a stricter signature-verification system that nearly tripled mail-ballot rejections.