Axios Phoenix is an Axios company.

Criticism of Republican Mark Finchem's conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and Democrat Adrian Fontes' tenure as Maricopa County's top election official took center stage as the two faced off Thursday in a testy debate for secretary of state.

Why it matters: The secretary of state's primary responsibility is serving as Arizona's top election official.

What Fontes said: He used much of his time bashing Finchem for his false assertions that the 2020 election was rigged against former President Donald Trump, his presence at the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack and his proposals to set aside election results in multiple counties over baseless and unsubstantiated allegations of fraud.

What Finchem said: He criticized Fontes for missteps during his tenure as Maricopa County recorder, from 2017 to 2020.

Finchem said he wanted to set aside the election results in Maricopa, Pima and Yuma counties because they were "irredeemably compromised."

Yes, but: The case against two women who pleaded guilty to ballot harvesting charges in Yuma County stemmed from the 2020 primary, not the general election.

Of note: Even if a ballot is illegally harvested, that in no way indicates that it wasn't otherwise cast legitimately. Election officials use voters' signatures to verify their identities before opening the envelopes that contain their early ballots.

Meanwhile: Fontes defended his attempt to send early ballots to everyone for the presidential primary, not just voters who had requested them, on the grounds that many voters were afraid to go out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Phoenix.

Support local journalism by becoming a member.

No stories could be found

Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Phoenix.

Support local journalism by becoming a member.