Midterms 2026 · Report · File No. 261107-336
Arizona's Sebastian Matta, 19, wins Maricopa County court clerk job over ex-lawmaker
A Democratic Arizona State sophomore beat Republican Jeff Dial for a $97,000-a-year post running a 600-employee court office. His win shows how far the Democratic wave reached down the ballot.
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Sebastian "Seb" Matta, a 19-year-old Democrat, was elected Tuesday as the next clerk of the Superior Court in Maricopa County, Arizona. He beat Jeff Dial, a 50-year-old Republican and former state lawmaker 1. Matta is a sophomore at Arizona State University 1.
The clerk's office handles court filings for the nation's fourth-largest county. The job pays $97,000 a year and oversees a public office with 600 employees, Newsweek reported. Matta himself put the staff at roughly 600 to 700 people 1.
His win came in a week when Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate. Newsweek reported that voters sent a stinging rebuke of President Donald Trump and his party, amid frustration over high prices and the Iran war 1.
A campaign built on paperwork, not partisanship
Matta's campaign focused less on party politics and more on running the office better 1. His top priority is wider language access in the court system. He said a quarter of Maricopa County's residents speak a language other than English at home 1.
From Channel GOPKimmel on Trump dodging a JD Vance endorsementJimmy Kimmel · captioned, with the source named
He wants to improve the court's self-help guides and put them in more languages. He also wants people to be able to start probate cases, such as wills and estates, over the internet 1. In July, he told a local Democratic club that moving probate online would save residents, attorneys and the county time and money 2.
Matta said he began studying which offices were on the ballot after he turned 18. He said he drove 25,000 miles and visited every legislative district in the county during 11 months of campaigning 1.
Facing questions about his age
Much of the attention has centered on Matta's age. He appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where the host compared him to the television child prodigy Doogie Howser 1. Matta said he understands why voters have questions 1.
I understand that it's very scary to have a 19-year-old be your boss
Matta said he is not nervous. He said employees who have reached out so far have been encouraging, and that his first priority is building relationships with staff 1.
He takes office in January. He plans to stay enrolled at Arizona State, shifting mostly to hybrid classes. "I'm very committed to finishing my studies," he said 1.
Before the election, a local news report said he would be among the youngest people ever elected to public office in Arizona if he won 2. Asked about his political future, Matta declined to make predictions. He said his parents would like him to go to law school 1.
Why it matters
That matters because county clerks do the unglamorous work that touches ordinary people, from divorces to wills to court records. Many older Arizonans will deal with the office when settling an estate. Matta's online probate plan would speak directly to them.
It also shows how far down the ballot the Democratic wave ran. A race most voters know little about went to a candidate who has never held office. The test now is whether he can run a large office well, as he has promised 1.
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Sources
- Newsweek, “Who Is Sebastian Matta? Teen Wins Clerk Race in Arizona as Democrats Surge” (2026-11-07). newsweek.com/who-is-sebastian-matta-teen-wins-maricopa-clerk
- Litchfield Park Independent, “Teenage clerk candidate, Gosar challenger speak to LD29 Democrats” (2026-07-19). yourvalley.net/litchfield-park-independent/stories/teenage-c
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