Having grown up in the border city of Nogales, Arizona, public service has been in Adrian’s blood for generations. His family has been in the US/Mexico border region for over 300 years. Adrian’s Grandfather, Florentino ‘Tino’ Fontes became a US Citizen after serving in WWII. After taking on several jobs to help his own six children graduate from ASU, Tino Fontes became the Mayor of Nogales, Arizona on Adrian’s ninth birthday.

Adrian began his own public service career in the United States Marine Corps, on active duty from 1992 to 1996, earning a nomination for a meritorious commission. His service taught him the importance of dedication, discipline, and sacrifice in the fight for the American dream. After being Honorably Discharged, Adrian returned to receive his Bachelor’s degree from ASU before continuing on to the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver.

Upon graduating from law school, Adrian spent his career advocating for justice and fighting for those who are disadvantaged — first as a prosecutor with the Denver District Attorney and then for the Maricopa County Attorney’s office and the Arizona Attorney General.

In 2016, Adrian was inspired to run for Maricopa County Recorder after witnessing the shameful voter suppression efforts that created 6-hour voting lines and disproportionately impacted those living in Arizona’s most vulnerable and under-served communities. Adrian won that election, becoming the first Democrat to hold the Recorder’s office in 50 years, as well as the first-ever Latino to hold county-wide office in Maricopa- (a county that represents two-thirds of Arizona’s population.)

As Recorder, Adrian revolutionized a broken, outdated, and unjust voting system by making elections more accessible and more secure than ever before. From his first day in office, he immediately got to work professionalizing the operation and implementing a comprehensive logistical 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 in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic and the violent insurrections at both the Maricopa Recorder’s office and at our Nation’s Capital, Adrian’s administration set systems in place that led to record voter turnout in 2020. Most importantly, Adrian worked with political and community organizations across the spectrum to increase the number of registered voters by 500,000, making Maricopa County the second largest voting jurisdiction in the USA.

At a time when anti-democratic factions are fueling conspiracy theories to undermine the public’s faith in our electoral process, and as courts continue to eviscerate federal voting protections in service of the myth of widespread voter fraud, administering elections fairly and competently at the state and local level is more important than ever.

That is why Arizona needs a Secretary of State like Adrian Fontes. With the necessary experience to be ready on day one, Adrian will uphold and defend our Constitution and combat undemocratic voter suppression laws.

Sign up today to join Adrian in the fight to guarantee every eligible Arizonan the right and opportunity to have their voice heard and their vote counted. Together, we will elect Adrian Fontes to the office of Secretary of State and protect our Democracy by keeping elections free, fair and accessible to ALL Arizona voters.