(Photo by Nick Blumberg - KJZZ)

Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell.

(Photo courtesy of Aaron Flannery for Maricopa County Recorder Facebook page)

Aaron Flannery is running in the Maricopa County Recorder's GOP primary.

Arizona’s primary election is a week away. At the Maricopa County recorder's office, incumbent Helen Purcell is gearing up for a rare primary challenger this election season.

Republican Aaron Flannery said he decided to run for this office almost two years ago after a Peoria city council candidate’s name was left off the ballot.

Flannery is an Army veteran and new to politics and public office. But he said a fresh pair of eyes could be beneficial for the County Recorder’s office. Flannery argued that too many mistakes have been made by Purcell’s administration. He pointed to this year’s presidential preference election when her office’s decision to dramatically cut polling locations led to hours-long lines.

"The mistakes have just kept coming," Flannery said. "They’ve become greater and greater, and they’ve affected voters more and more since they’ve started running."

Purcell said she feels good about the primary race. She acknowledged that mistakes have been made during her time in office but argued she’s learned from them and made corrections.

Purcell first took office in 1988. She said she’s running again because she’d like to see her office through the purchase of new voting equipment in the next three years. She explained what the county is using now is coming to the end of its useful life.

"We’re going to have a lot of things to look at and I think a lot of that experience brings in to the picture something that you need if you’re going to make a large purchase of that nature," she said.

The winner of next Tuesday’s primary will go on to face Democrat Adrian Fontes in the general election.