Outspoken sheriff won't run for governor in Arizona
(CNN) – Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a fixture in Arizona politics, announced Monday that he will not seek the Republican nomination for governor in his home state.
"I just don't want to leave my 4,000 dedicated employees," Arpaio said. "I am going to contribute my service and fight as the Sheriff of Maricopa County."
"I don't want to be egotistical, but I could be the governor if I ran," he boasted. "My polls are very high. I got the money. I got the polls. I got the support."
Arpaio made the announcement in an interview set to air on CNN’s "John King USA" on Monday night.
Had he decided to jump the race, Arpaio would have faced a crowded GOP primary featuring incumbent Gov. Jan Brewer, state Treasurer Dean Martin, Tucson attorney John Munger and and Yavapai County businessman Buz Mills.
Arpaio’s tough approach to law enforcement has earned him a following among anti-illegal immigration activists both in Arizona and around the country. He welcomed the recently-passed Arizona law that grants state police officers greater power in questioning suspected illegal immigrants.
My mother is a retired police officer so I have a great deal of respect for law enforcement and especially the men and women who really dedicate their lives to public service.
I do not, however, have much respect Joe Arpaio – he's an ego-maniac and is addicted to the media spotlight. The whole "law and order" guise is just his schtick – this guy is nothing but a politician who would be a dictator if he thought he could get away with it.
Arpaio is a first class jerk.
really? cause i thought my state (Michigan) was the laughing stock.....
Whine whine whine, thats all some of you people do. The sherrif enforces laws that pertain to entry into the USA, if you do it legally you have nothing to be afraid of, only the people who ILLEGALLY enter the US need worry. You race baitors need to read the facts and quit pitting race against race. HYPOCRITES!!!
sherif Joe would make a helluva president. its bout time we got rid of all the colored rifraf. america for americans
Adhee...please, please, please run Sheriff Joe for President...please. How about he run with Jan Brewer, or even second on the ticket with Sarah Palin...pick any two of the three idiots and run them please.
Wish him luck – You gotta be kinding me!!!
He is POLITICAL....he has to run for Sheriff and be ELECTED. He is one of the ONLY people in all of law enforcement that makes sense. God Bless this man!
Praise God! Now if AZ would just elect a new sheriff, some good may come out of this year.
Real World Soldier stated it best! Don't be fooled by the words of an arrogant coward.
Ah great, so all these furrineers can see how dumb Americans area again.
Hey, vote the guy in for governor. Why should Illinois be the only state to have a recent governor in jail. Maybe he can work a deal and get in his old jail. Has to take Blago though. They'll love each other. Same cell.
Great news!
Being a Fascist sheriff that has been roundly and routinely condemned by Amnesty International costing the AZ taxpayer tens of millions for each of many lawsuits for unlawful death and mistreatment of many SUSPECTS convicted of no crime but unable to afford bail does not equate to leading any government; including the received ultra-conservative State of Arizona (remember we passed medical marijuana not once but twice, repulsed by popular vote an attempt to limit rights of gay partners and approved our MLK holiday by popular vote). He may have gotten the republican party nomination from the tea-bagger and ultra-right wing but a general election has independents and moderate republicans electing such statewide officeholders as the former Governor Janet Napalitano and the current Attorney General Terry Goddard. If, as many predict, jug-head Hayward knocks off McCain in the primary because of these tea-baggers, it will be a great year for democrats in Arizona.
Sheriff Joe is THE MAN.
Woot! Sheriff Joe is a disgrace to law enforcement. ...
Good for sheriff Joe. Had he become governor he would have been lost in the political swamplands. Politicians as a group, both democrat and republicans, are dishonest and greedy. They are interested only on their own reelection and lining their pockets.
Hey Rusty and other proud Americans - how about you submit to a lie detector test to see if you've done anything illegal in your life. You know, DUI or cheat on taxes or touch little kids or something. And if it turns out that you did, oh boy, we'd throw you in the slammer and let you take it up the cornhole. Those with nothing to hide should be happy to submit to it. Right, my fellow citizens? I want a lie detector every time you go to the government. Like in the Post Offices. About time we weeded out all the criminals.
He has a "tough approach to law enforcement "? Please come to California and run for governor, we'd love to have you when Arnold's term is over! (Arnold can't run again and we'll miss him.)
White Trash! Racist Coward= Joe Arpaio. Jerk of Jerks along with Palin, Romney, Nixon, Ike, Hoover, Woody Hayes, Etc, Etc.
Run Joe with Sarah Palin, on the" Crazy Peoples" ticket, they will win!!
Thank goodness. We need people who can implement ideas and the law without the hitler syndrome.
We need to do something about illegals, but racism (=brown) is not the way to go if you don't go after the white illegals also.
This guy sounds scary!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish he would run, that way the Democrats would pick up the Governor's seat in Arizona and maybe start fixing the mess the Republicans have made of things there.
He's a criminal himself, I'm sure the Feds will see his day is coming (long overdue).
Halleluiah!!! There is a God in heaven...
Good – Glad he's not running. Needs to retire so this state can progress he and that dinosaur mccane are part of our problems here. odl thinking, do it the way its always been done, my way or highway – bubye!
Lets see Joe. When Mexicans protest they take to the streets and smear beans on a window.
When Republicans protest they fire guns into buildings, throw bricks through windows, spit on congressmen, use racial slurs, make threatening phone calls.
Hhhmmmm, I'll side with the Mexicans on this one.