Finchem v. Fontes – 2022 Election Contest (AZ)
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On Dec. 9, 2022, Arizona secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem filed a complaint against his opponent, Adrian Fontes, in Maricopa County Superior Court to contest Fontes’s victory in the 2022 election. States United and Coppersmith Brockelman PLC served as pro bono co-counsel to defendant, outgoing Secretary of State Katie Hobbs.
On Dec. 13, Hobbs filed a motion to dismiss, calling Finchem’s election contest “little more than a publicity stunt.” Hobbs also noted that Finchem’s claims were entirely speculative and failed to show that the results of the election were affected by the alleged misconduct.
On Dec. 16, Judge Melissa Iyer Julian dismissed the election contest in its entirety, confirming Fontes’s victory.
On Dec. 21, Finchem filed a notice of appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court. The court denied the appeal on Dec. 28.