'We need new folks in this': Embattled county leader to head ASU center on democracy

Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates (at podium) and other elected officials speak out in the wake of the 2020 elections and allegations of inaccurate results.

Arizona Republic / AZCentral.com
An Arizona county official who fought off threats and defended election results will take on a new role to preserve democracy from the nation's epicenter of election denialism.

Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates will take charge of a new laboratory at Arizona State University this fall, training students in election administration and offering support and resources for tenured election officials. It's a perch from which he hopes to build a pipeline of hardened, experienced election workers and combat threats to democracy.

The move also allows Gates, a Republican and a prominent voice against voting conspiracies, to keep his foot in a space that has come to dominate his professional and personal life. He was one of several county leaders who faced threats, harassment and public ridicule after false allegations spread of a rigged vote in the 2020 presidential race.

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