Criticism of Republican Mark Finchem's conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and Democrat Adrian Fontes' tenure as Maricopa County's top election official took center stage as the two faced off Thursday in a testy debate for secretary of state.

Why it matters: The secretary of state's primary responsibility is serving as Arizona's top election official.

• They are responsible for certifying election results, a normally ministerial duty that has become more prominent in the wake of the false claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
• The secretary of state is also first in the line of succession for governor.
• Finchem and Fontes spent most of the 30-minute debate touting their credentials and their opponents' supposed shortcomings.

What Fontes said: He used much of his time bashing Finchem for his false assertions that the 2020 election was rigged against former President Donald Trump, his presence at the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack and his proposals to set aside election results in multiple counties over baseless and unsubstantiated allegations of fraud.

• He noted that Finchem, a state representative who was first elected in 2014, introduced legislation that would have "set aside" election results in Maricopa, Pima and Yuma counties and decertify Arizona's electoral votes for President Biden.
• He also criticized Finchem for advocating for an end to early voting in Arizona, though only the legislature, not the secretary of state, could impose...

Read Full Story: https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2022/09/23/finchem-fontes-face-off-in-tes...