Sebastian Matta, a 19-year-old Democratic student, has won the election for Clerk of Superior Court in Maricopa County. Voting took place on Tuesday.
Matta won 53 percent of the vote and defeated former state senator Jeff Dial, a Republican. According to Quartz, he received more than 740,000 votes. Dial conceded, which both candidates confirmed in conversation with ABC15 Arizona. Matta is a sophomore at Arizona State University.
He will take office in January. He will oversee more than 600 employees and a budget of $65 million. According to Newsweek, the position pays a salary of about $97,000 a year. He will replace acting clerk Nancy Rodriguez.
The office is responsible for storing and safeguarding all court records in Maricopa County. It also handles restitution payments, support payments, wills and marriage licenses.
Matta says he plans to expand access to services in other languages and move more court services online, including the filing of probate cases. He said one-quarter of county residents speak a language other than English at home. That may matter to people who use other languages in court matters, including Polish.
To get on the ballot, he collected 4,063 signatures. By his own account, he also raised $20,000 from donors in more than nine states. He reportedly intends to continue his studies online while working in the office.
Source: KJZZ
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