Political Notebook: Recall effort launched against Sheriff Chris Nanos

Daniel Butierez pulled petitions to pursue a recall of Nanos on March 12. That gives him and other volunteers until mid-June to perform a formidable, almost impossible task: Collect 120,000 valid signatures from Pima County voters to put a recall of Nanos on the ballot.

Butierez cited two main reasons for pursuing the recall: Nanos' handling of the investigation of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, and revelations that he had apparently lied about his work experience at the El Paso Police Department in the 1980s.

Nanos is a Democrat, and Butierez is a Republican who ran for Congress in 2024, losing handily to Raúl Grijalva. After Grijalva died in March 2025, Butierez ran in the special election in 2025, losing to the deceased congressman's daughter, Adelita Grijalva. Butierez is running again for the Republican nomination for the same seat, representing Congressional District 7, this year.

For now, though, Butierez is working on the recall. The first task: Mobilize volunteers. So far, Butierez said, the group has assembled almost 500 volunteers to collect signatures. In the end, Butierez said, he'd like to get 135,000 signatures in order to have a buffer for any invalid ones.

In his few days collecting signatures, Butierez said, "I’m finding that the Democrats are just as upset as the Republicans."

Nanos has come under criticism for his handling of the investigation of the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie. Amid the weeks of fruitless investigation, The Arizona Republic reported that Nanos had misstated his experience on his résumé. 

For years, Nanos has said he worked until 1984 in the El Paso Police Department, but The Republic revealed he left that department in 1982, when given the choice to resign or be fired after a series of suspensions and disciplinary measures. The Republic also reported that in a December 2025 deposition, Nanos was asked if he'd ever been suspended, and he testified he had not.

“We’re aware of the recall, and it’s the right of the people," Nanos said. "We’ll always honor the will of the people, and that’s what makes Democracy.”

Nanos won his last election, in 2024, by a margin of just 495 votes over Republican Heather Lappin.

Sheriff called before supervisors

The Pima County Board of Supervisors will be discussing Nanos' work history during its meeting Tuesday, Supervisor Matt Heinz says.

Heinz, a Democrat and frequent critic of Nanos, said his request stems from the report by The Arizona Republic.

"Normal people, the average Pima County resident, cannot lie on their résumé, and they certainly cannot provide false testimony during a deposition about the same topic or any topic for that matter," Heinz said. "His entire work history, his entire career, all of it, he's been perpetrating a fraud upon the residents of Pima County for four decades."

It's the latest in a long line of actions or headlines that show Nanos should be disqualified from heading the Sheriff's Department, Heinz said. The county supervisor noted Nanos' handling of the Ricky Garcia investigation, a former sergeant in the department who was sentenced to one year in jail last year after being convicted in the attempted sexual assault of a female coworker.

The county board ultimately asked for an independent review of the investigation, citing the manner in which the internal investigation was handled. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes' office ultimately found no criminal wrongdoing but did find that Nanos possibly violated four Sheriff's Department policies in his actions during the case.

"You cannot have the head of your law enforcement agency be known to lie under oath. That is absolutely disqualifying for any position in Pima County, but especially in law enforcement," Heinz said. 

The Pima County Board of Supervisors will meet Tuesday for its 9 a.m. meeting. You can attend the meeting in person, at 130 W. Congress St., or watch it live from the county's YouTube page: www.youtube.com/@PimaCountyArizona.

'No Kings' is back

A new set of No Kings protests is scheduled around the country on Saturday morning, March 28, including a half-dozen or so events in the Tucson area.

Among the protests against President Donald Trump's administration is one that will run along eight miles of North Oracle Road, from Wetmore to North First Avenue, with gatherings at six intersections in that stretch.

Demonstrations are also planned in Green Valley, Vail, Rita Ranch, midtown Tucson, and Marana. Details are available at nokings.org.