Nancy Guthrie Case: Can Sheriff Nanos Actually Be Removed?

The calls to remove Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos have grown louder since the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie thrust his department into the national spotlight. But the people demanding action may not realize how few options actually exist. Nanos won reelection by just 481 votes in 2024. The Board of Supervisors has requested two separate outside investigations. Deputies within his own department voted no confidence. And yet, under Arizona law, removing an elected sheriff between elections is one of the hardest things to accomplish in American government.

In this episode, we lay out the three paths that theoretically exist and explain why each one hits a wall. A recall election would require over 121,000 verified signatures collected in just 120 days — a logistical mountain with no existing infrastructure to support it. Criminal prosecution has been explored twice through Attorney General referrals, with one investigation closing without charges and the other producing no public action. And impeachment, the mechanism people invoke most often, simply does not apply to county officers under the Arizona Constitution. The legislature cannot impeach a sheriff. The governor cannot remove a sheriff. The Board of Supervisors cannot remove a sheriff. This is a constitutional reality rooted in Arizona's founding principles, and it affects every county in the state.

Whether you support Nanos or want him gone, this episode is about the system — what it allows, what it doesn't, and what that means for the Guthrie investigation and beyond.

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