Arizona judge backs key Republican election official in voting board fight

Ruling in favor of Justin Heap could have implications in one of country’s most prominent battleground states

The top election official in Arizona’s most populous county will be given more authority in running elections after a judge sided with his office in a prolonged legal fight with the local board that shares responsibility for overseeing the vote.

The decision could have broad implications in one of the nation’s most prominent battleground states, which will have several high-profile races this fall. Maricopa county, which includes Phoenix, has been roiled by election conspiracy theorists ever since Donald Trump lost the state to Joe Biden in 2020.