Washington, D.C. — Today, Latino Victory Fund announced the endorsement of Adrian Fontes for Arizona Secretary of State. In 2016, Fontes was elected Maricopa County Recorder, becoming the first Democrat to hold the Recorder’s office in 50 years and the first-ever Latino to hold elected office in Arizona’s largest county.
Latino Victory Fund president and CEO Nathalie Rayes issued the following statement:
“We are proud to endorse Adrian Fontes for Arizona secretary of state. A dedicated public servant and U.S. Marines veteran, Fontes has been in the trenches in Arizona’s elections, successfully expanding voter access while implementing high safety measures. Arizonans can count on Fontes to protect the ballot box from unfounded lies by increasing voter access to the ballot box, and ensuring the elections are safe, transparent, and accessible. Arizona is ground zero in our fight to preserve the existing trust and integrity of our elections, and with such a high stake on the line, we need leaders with integrity like Adrian Fontes in office to helm this fight.”
Meet Adrian Fontes
Public service is in Adrian Fontes’ DNA. Growing up in the border town of Nogales, he was surrounded by exemplary role models. Adrian’s Grandfather, Florentino ‘Tino’ Fontes, became a US Citizen after serving in WWII. And after taking on several jobs to help his own six children graduate from college, Tino Fontes became the Mayor of Nogales, Arizona.
After being Honorably Discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps, Fontes returned to receive his bachelor’s degree from ASU before continuing to the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver.
Upon graduating from law school, Fontes spent his career advocating for justice and fighting for the vulnerable and disadvantaged, as a prosecutor in Colorado, Maricopa County, and the Arizona Attorney General’s office.
In 2016, after witnessing shameful voter suppression tactics, 6-hour lines at the polls, Fontes decided to run for Maricopa County Recorder. Fontes won, becoming the first Democrat to hold the Recorder’s office in 50 years and the first-ever Latino to hold elected office in Arizona’s largest county.
As Recorder, Fontes revolutionized a broken, outdated, and unjust voting system by making elections more accessible and more secure than ever before. From day one, he immediately got to work professionalizing the operation and implementing a comprehensive plan in advance of Election Day: securing polling locations, recruiting and training poll workers, and educating voters on where, when, and how to vote.
Even amid the COVID-19 Pandemic and the violent insurrections at both the Maricopa Recorder’s office and at our Nation’s Capital, Fontes’ administration set up an elections infrastructure that led to record voter turnout in 2020. He worked with political and community organizations across the political spectrum to increase registered voters by five hundred thousand people, making Maricopa County the second-largest voting jurisdiction in the country.
To learn more about Adrian Fontes, visit here.
