Joe Arpaio continues to float Senate run with new fundraising email

PHOENIX — Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is again floating a Senate run, most recently through a fundraising email that asked his supporters whether he should enter the race for Sen. Jeff Flake’s seat next year.

According to the Phoenix Business Journal, Arpaio talked about President Donald Trump needing trust from within the Senate in his fundraising email.

“My friend President Donald Trump needs a U.S. Senator he a can trust to actually vote for action on illegal immigration, taxes, the economy and more — and some are asking me to step forward,” Arpaio said in the email.

With Flake electing not to run for re-election, his term will end in January 2019, leaving an open seat in an already competitive race.

“Please let me know if you think I should run for Senate by taking this one question POLL right away,” Arpaio said.

The former sheriff, who is 85, said his age would not be a factor in his decision to seek another public office.

“I’m proud to be my age. I work 14 hours a day,” he told the Washington Examiner in October. “If anyone thinks my age is going to hold me back, I’ve got news for them.”

Should the former lawman run for Flake’s seat, he may encounter a crowded primary field. One challenger, Dr. Kelli Ward, has already entered the race, while Trump met with at least two other potential candidates prior to his Phoenix rally in August.

“My heart is with the president and anything he needs or wants I will do, so we’ll have to see what his position is,” Arpaio told the Examiner. “It’s an open seat now.”

The former lawman claimed he would likely win the Senate seat, should he toss his hat into the ring.

Arpaio theoretically has time to decide on the race. He would need to gather at least 5,801 signatures in support of his campaign and would have until May to submit the necessary paperwork.

This is not the first time Arpaio has floated a Senate run: The former sheriff told the Examiner that he was considering running for mayor, legislator or Senate in August and has left the door open on the possibility since.

Trump pardoned Arpaio on Aug. 25, saying the former sheriff had worked for years “protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration.”

The pardon essentially made Arpaio an innocent man, though the Constitution does not prohibit convicted criminals from running for office.

Arpaio was found guilty in late July of misdemeanor contempt for continuing his immigration sweeps for 17 months after a judge ordered him to stop.

Related

Phoenix freeway closures: How to steer clear of roadwork this weekendPhoenix events calendar: Things to do this weekend and beyondPhoenix concert calendar: Nickelback, Def Leppard join list of upcoming Valley showsTwo suspects sought after $93K worth of high-end items, MLB gear stolen from storage unitShort-term rental properties keep Scottsdale police busySAFE Alert canceled after missing 85-year-old Glendale man returned home safely