Pima County Attorney Laura Conover and Democratic challenger Mike Jette debated Saturday, and while the two candidates were alike when it came to the death penalty and abortion, they shifted into sharp exchanges over Conover’s record and Jette’s party affiliation.

Conover is seeking a second term after winning in 2020 on a platform of criminal justice reform and faces Jette in the July 30 Democratic primary. Without a Republican candidate in the election, the winner of the summer’s vote will earn the spot of top county prosecutor.

Conover replaced outgoing attorney Barbara LaWall, who held the office for seven terms until she announced she was retiring in 2019.

Last month, Conover agreed to a diversion agreement with the the Arizona State Bar to end an ethics investigation launched by a former prosecutor with the Pima County Attorney’s Office. Conover denied misconduct allegations but said: “We’re all human beings. Each of us can learn from past events.”

Paul Ingram, Tucson Sentinel