Integrity and the local government's role in border and drug policy enforcement are the main discussion points in the race for Pima County Sheriff, which features incumbent Democrat Chris Nanos and his challenger, Heather Lappin, a lieutenant within the department.

The new sheriff will start their term on January 1. If elected, Lappin would be the first woman to serve as sheriff in Pima County. 

Meet Chris Nanos

Chris Nanos, the Democratic incumbent, is seeking reelection. He has worked for the Pima County Sheriff's Department for 40 years and is counting on his prior leadership experience to help him win again. 

He criticized Lappin's money management problems, referring to her bankruptcy filing, and in a debate, he also claimed Lappin filed falsified documents when she worked for the Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training board. He called this an expensive and timely mistake, saying a group of deputies had to retake a class because Lappin lied and claimed an expert was present.

Nanos was first appointed sheriff in 2015 but lost his bid for reelection in 2016. He ran again and won in 2020 and this time around, is endorsed by the Pima County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, Sheriff’s Labor Association of Pima County and the National Organization of Women. 

Nanos has said that during his time in office, he assembled a Critical Incident Team, an Active Shooter Response Team and a Community Engagement Team. He says he increased staffing to 96% from 77% and raised their salaries. Additionally, he says he changed the boundaries of the department’s districts to shorten response times. 

Nanos graduated from the University of Texas El Paso with a public administration and criminal justice degree. He began his career in law enforcement with the El Paso Police Department in 1976 and started working with the Pima County Sheriff's Department in 1984. 

Campaign Finances

According to the Pima County 2024 Pre-Primary Report, which was filed in July, Nanos had a surplus of $2,528.84 from his previous campaign. Including his surplus, he has raised a total of $31,858.84 and spent $23,815.35, leaving him with $8,043.49. The top contributor listed on this document was Jon O'Brian, a retiree who lives in the foothills and contributed $1,000.

Meet Heather Lappin

Heather Lappin, a section commander at the Pima County jail, is challenging Nanos for this position. She has worked for the department for almost 20 years and is relying on her leadership education to win the upcoming election. She’s also hopeful that the Pima County Deputy’s Organization almost unanimous vote of “no confidence” in Nanos at the beginning of 2024 will help. She’s endorsed by the Pima County's Deputy Organization, former Pima County Sheriff Mark Napier, the Arizona Conference of Police and Sheriffs and the Tucson Police Protective League. 

Lappin said her mission is to restore the integrity of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and protect Pima County families. In particular, she wants to address deaths at the county jail, rising crime, budget transparency, protecting taxpayers and improving deputy training and retention. Her top concern is restoring the integrity of the sheriff's office. 

Her education includes an associate's degree in criminal justice from the University of Phoenix, a bachelor's in political science from Arizona State University and a master's degree in organizational leadership at Northern Arizona University. Additionally, she serves as an adjunct instructor at Pima Community College. 

Campaign Finances

According to the Pima County 2024 Pre-Primary report, which was filed in July, Lappin has raised a total of $51,499.07 during her entire campaign and has spent $47,258.86, leaving her with a total of $4,240.21. According to this document, the top contributor was Jason Rockwell from Marana, who works at Rothenbuhler Engineering. He has contributed $3,626 to the campaign and previously worked at the Pima County Sheriff's Department as a Police Sergeant and a Firearms Instructor, and was on the Pima Regional SWAT Team for 11 years.

Key Issues From Debate: Q & A

The Arizona Clean Elections Commission hosted an online candidate debate on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. 

What is the role of the sheriff on immigration? 

Nanos said that the border isn't his problem.

“I don’t need to be down at the border taking a photo op with my AR-15 saying I'm tough on crime," Nanos said. "People know me, from my experience, they know who I am as a human being…The border is a problem created by the federal government, and they need to resolve it. 314 is not a proposition I would ever support.” 

Lappin disagreed on that point.

“We do have a crisis at our border," Lappin said. "Our job is public safety. If we ignore the fentanyl coming through, if we ignore the human trafficking, if we ignore the arms, we are failing.”

She described Prop 314 as an unrealistic bill that should not pass. Prop 314 would encourage state and local police to arrest non-citizens who cross the border unlawfully. 

What is the role of the sheriff in the opioid crisis?

Lappin talked about the need for more educational programs and a larger staff to get all hands on deck in community policing.

"The opioid crisis requires attention from the Pima County Sheriff's Department for sure and those partnerships with education and educating parents, educating the kids, educating the community on what to look out for and how to help be a part of the solution," Lappin said. 

Nanos said fentanyl use was down because so many people have died from using it. He talked about how over the years there is always a new drug that takes over whatever is popular at the moment. He said that he is not going to stick officers at the border just for show because it is "old school police work." 

Vision

Lappin's goal, if she wins office, is to build community partnerships.

"We have the problem where we refuse to sit at tables with other people because maybe we are not the most popular at that table. I think we should be sitting at all tables to give everyone a voice," Lappin said. 

Nanos' goal is to continue moving things in the same direction. He listed all of the accomplishments he has achieved in office and the teams he has put together to make the community safer, which is his top priority if he gets reelected. 

What's at Stake?

The sheriff serves a term of four years. The sheriff oversees the jail, search and rescue missions, has authority over all county elected offices and is responsible for a budget of over $170 million and about 1,500 employees.

To learn more about the upcoming election, visit the Pima County Elections website. 

Important Dates

The election will take place Tuesday, November 5, and the deadline to register to vote has passed Make sure to check your voter registration and the list of early voting sites in Pima County.

Full list of deadlines: 

• Last day to request a mail ballot: Oct. 25
• Deadline to mail ballot: Oct. 29
• Last day to vote early in person: Nov. 1
• Election day: Nov. 5

Kyra Berg is a University of Arizona journalism student.